en.malanginspirasi.com – Indonesian rescuers are racing against time to locate 129 passengers who remain missing after the ship Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea amid strong winds and high waves.
According to a Reuters report, the vessel was carrying 243 people when it went missing in bad weather early Sunday while sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
Authorities have so far rescued 108 people, while six others have been confirmed dead. The remaining 129 passengers are still being searched for.
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has deployed at least 622 personnel, 17 ships, five helicopters and aircraft to support the search operation.
However, difficult weather conditions have hampered the rescue effort.
Mohammad Syafii, head of Basarnas, said strong winds and rough seas were making it difficult for rescuers to reach and enter the capsized vessel.
“We would also deploy personnel with underwater rescue skills but the current conditions do not allow us to,” he said.
Syafii said authorities were also preparing additional personnel with specialized skills while waiting for weather conditions to improve.
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“While waiting for the weather conditions to improve, we are identifying more personnel with special skills,” he said, adding that the death toll remained at six.
Three-Metre Waves Hit the Ship
The accident occurred amid severe weather, with waves reaching as high as three metres, according to Syafii.
The location of the capsized ship is around 150 kilometres, from the rescue command centre at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin.
Arianto Ardi, another Basarnas official, said strong winds in the area were making it difficult for rescue vessels to approach the ship.
“The conditions there are quite windy, making it difficult for the vessel to dock,” he said.
Under normal weather conditions, the journey from Trisakti Port to the location takes around five hours. Rough seas, however, can extend the travel time to as much as nine hours.
Basarnas released footage showing the large red-and-black vessel partially submerged and lying on its side in choppy waters.
Several small boats carrying rescuers could also be seen near the capsized ship.
Edy Prakoso, another Basarnas official, said on Sunday that the vessel had tilted heavily to one side after strong waves struck its starboard side.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ship had a capacity of up to 500 passengers, meaning it was not overloaded when the incident occurred.
