Passenger ferry capsizes in Java Sea, one dead and dozens still missing

A passenger vessel named KM Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea roughly 80 nautical miles from Basirih SAR Pier as it sailed from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. Emergency distress alerts were received early in the morning, prompting a coordinated search and rescue effort involving Basarnas, commercial ships and tugboats. Three vessels—MV Haida, TB TCP and TB Mauhaw IX—saved a total of 103 survivors, while one fatality was identified among those rescued.

Command posts have been set up at Trisakti Port and Tanjung Perak Port to assist families and coordinate medical evacuations. The disaster underscores ongoing scrutiny of Indonesia's domestic maritime network, where many passenger ships are decades old and often operate beyond their typical service life.