On September 13, 2026, a ferry named Virgo Transport 8 carrying 243 passengers and crew members capsized off Java after being hit by bad weather. At least six people died, with 130 missing and 107 rescued as of Sunday afternoon. Indonesian authorities reported that the ship had lost contact early in its journey from Surabaya to Borneo, and rescuers faced dangerous conditions including high waves while attempting a rescue operation.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-13,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 13, 2026, a ferry named Virgo Transport 8 carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, capsized in rough seas with waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) while traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin on Borneo Island. At least six passengers were confirmed dead and 130 remained missing as of Sunday afternoon, with 107 people rescued. The ferry had issued a distress call early morning, reporting it was listing due to severe weather conditions before losing contact with authorities.
Rescue efforts included deploying eight vessels and two helicopters despite "extremely risky" sea conditions for rescuers battling waves up to 2.5 meters. Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated aerial searches showed the ferry floating upside down but not sunk, allowing rescuers to concentrate their search around the overturned vessel. The cause of the incident was under investigation by authorities to determine if it involved natural, technical, or human factors.
Written for “Indonesian Ferry Disaster” on 2026-09-14,
grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
Rescuers in Indonesia said at least six people were killed and 130 others were missing on Sunday (September 13, 2026) after a ferry sailing between the islands of Java and Borneo was hit by bad weather and capsized.
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ferry → say → weather
The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 passengers and crew, had lost contact with its shipping company early in the day after departing from Surabaya in East Java.
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Transport → carry → Java
Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, said in its latest update that six people were killed and 130 were missing.
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130 → say → update
It said 107 people had been rescued.
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people → say → ?
There were 213 passengers and 30 crew members on board, the agency added.
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agency → be → board
Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ship had capsized.
“From the information we received, based on helicopter surveillance... the ship capsized but has not sunk.
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ship → say → surveillance
As of 3:00 pm (0700 GMT) it had not sunk yet, but it was capsized,” he said at a news conference in Banjarmasin.
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he → sink → Banjarmasin
Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana earlier told AFP that the ship’s captain had reported to its owners before losing contact that the vessel was “tilting”.
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vessel → tell → contact
Rescuers battled waves of up to 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) to reach the ferry, Mr. Sudayana told reporters.
“It is extremely risky for vessels.
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It → battle → vessels
Even our Basarnas vessel, which is 40 metres long, is at great risk,” he said.
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he → say → risk
A Basarnas helicopter has joined the operation, he added.
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he → join → operation
The vessel’s last position had been detected in the Java Sea, around 150 km from its destination.
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position → detect → destination
Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, said the ship, which was also carrying vehicles, lost contact at 2:00 am on Sunday (September 13, 2026).
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which → say → Sunday
“We responded quickly to the incident report...
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We → respond → report
Our main focus and top priority at this time is the safety of everyone on board the ship, and we are deploying a coordinated rescue operation,” Heri Purwanto said.
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Purwanto → deploy → operation
Rescue authorities have established a command centre at the Banjarmasin port, with paramedics and ambulances on standby, an AFP reporter saw.
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reporter → establish → standby
Dozens of relatives and friends of the passengers checked a whiteboard where the names of people rescued were being updated.
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names → check → people
Jenah, 26, told AFP she came to the command post for information about her older brother.
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she → tell → brother
“I am saddened and very shocked.
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I → sadden → ?
Until now, I haven’t received any more information,” said Jenah, who like many Indonesians has only one name.
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who → receive → name
“He was travelling alone.
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He → travel → ?
I hope he survives.
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he → hope → ?
I couldn’t contact him since last night.”
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I → contact → night
Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on boat connections for daily transport and tourism.
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that → rely → transport
On Monday (September 7, 2026), a speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists working for local and international news agencies, went missing near a volcano, Mount Anak Krakatau, in Banten province.
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speedboat → carry → province
The journalists were sent to cover the volcano’s eruption that paralysed Jakarta’s main airport and several others.
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that → send → airport
Last month, a fire on board a ferry killed one person and left five others missing while 211 were rescued in the Lombok Strait off Indonesia’s Bali island.
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211 → kill → island
The ferry had been heading from Bali to Lombok when it ran into trouble in the early hours of August 12.
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it → head → August
In July, a ferry transporting more than 70 people sank while sailing near Selayar, a small island south of Sulawesi.
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ferry → transport → Sulawesi
