JAKARTA — The death toll from the Virgo Transport 8 ferry reached 66 as of Sept. 28, with 69 passengers still missing 16 days after the vessel capsized in the Java Sea on Sept. 13.
The 4,277-ton ferry was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it overturned in bad weather. The ship was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members. Search and rescue officials have accounted for 108 survivors.
Divers from Indonesia's search and rescue agency are working in treacherous conditions. Hardiansyah Putra, a senior official from the agency, said on Sept. 28 that divers aimed to find missing individuals within the ship's cabins.
I Putu Sudayana, another senior agency official, said the search is hindered by unstable debris, shifting structures, and the vessel's tilting. Divers face sharp objects, dense gas concentrations and leaking fuel. These hazards limit divers to a maximum depth of 27 meters and prevent them from entering many compartments.
Sudayana said the ship's operator is responsible for righting the vessel and bringing it to the surface. Rescuers were expected to airlift some recovered bodies from the Java Sea using a helicopter on Sept. 28.
Indonesia relies on ferries to connect its 17,000 islands, with sea travel offering cheaper transportation than air travel. Maritime accidents are common in the archipelago.
