A ferry traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin in Indonesia overturned on Sunday due to rough seas and high waves, leaving around 130 passengers and crew missing. At least 107 people were rescued, and six bodies recovered by the search teams that included eight vessels and two helicopters. The ship was carrying over 240 individuals and 89 vehicles when it issued a distress call in the Java Sea about 92 miles from Banjarmasin.
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.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score -0.15 for article 8504 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-13
A ferry overturned in bad weather in Indonesia's Java Sea on Sunday, leaving about 130 passengers and crew missing, rescuers said.
asserted
rescuers → overturn → passengers
At least 107 people were rescued and the bodies of six passengers were recovered as the search operation expanded around the vessel's last known position.
asserted
operation → rescue → position
The ferry with more than 240 people was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province, on Borneo Island, officials said.
asserted
officials → travel → Island
The vessel's captain had reported rough seas with waves up to 10 feet before issuing a distress call, saying the ship was listing, said I Putu Sudayana, who heads the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office.
asserted
who → report → Office
Authorities later received information indicating the vessel had overturned.
asserted
vessel → receive → information
The rescue agency in Banjarmasin said it received a report two hours after contact was lost with the Virgo Transport 8 at about 2 a.m. Sunday.
asserted
contact → say → Sunday
A rescue ship was headed to the vessel's last known position, he said, and by Sunday afternoon authorities were deploying teams supported by eight vessels, including four navy ship, and two helicopters.
asserted
authorities → head → ship
Initial information indicated the vessel's last known position was in the Java Sea, about 92 miles from Banjarmasin.
asserted
position → indicate → Banjarmasin
The ship's manifest said it was carrying 243 people - 213 passengers and 30 crew members - although it is common in Indonesia for the number of passengers to differ from the manifest.
asserted
number → say → manifest
The vessel was also transporting 89 vehicles.
asserted
vessel → transport → vehicles
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said aerial searches showed the ferry was floating upside down and had not sunk.
asserted
ferry → say → ?
Rescuers were concentrating search efforts around the overturned ferry, he told reporters Sunday.
asserted
he → concentrate → reporters
Hundreds of relatives gathered at a command center in Banjarmasin's Trisakti port, awaiting word on family members believed to be aboard the ferry.
asserted
Hundreds → gather → ferry
Many anxiously checked passenger manifests and rescue lists as authorities continued searching for survivors.
asserted
authorities → check → survivors
"I was shocked when I saw my uncle's name on the passenger list," said a woman who goes by a single name, Bunga.
asserted
who → shock → name
"But I felt relieved after officials told me he had been rescued."
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel.
asserted
ferries → feel → travel
Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.
asserted
enforcement → occur → ?
