Tuesday, September 15, 2026 -A ferry carrying hundreds of people has sunk off the coast of Indonesia, turning an overnight journey into a desperate fight for
At least six people d!ed
and 129 others are missing after a ferry sank in rough seas off Indonesia on
Sunday, with survivors describing scenes of chaos as passengers fought for life
jackets.
The Virgo Transport 8 was
carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members when it lost contact with its
shipping company early Sunday after leaving Surabaya in East Java.
Indonesia's search and
rescue agency said six were confirmed d£ad while another 108 have been rescued.
One survivor recalled the
moment of panic.
He said many passengers
were sleeping when the ship started tilting around 2:00am, after he heard what
sounded like metal breaking about five hours into the journey.
With waves towering over
two metres high, people woke up screaming and shoving each other to grab life
jackets as the vessel tilted heavily to one side.
There was no warning from
the crew.
Someone on the ship had to
shout to alert others that the ferry was listing.
The survivor, speaking from
a stretcher at a health facility in Banjarmasin where survivors were brought,
described people climbing onto tables and pushing each other in desperation.
The first rescue ship
arrived before nightfall at a pier in Banjarmasin on Borneo island.
Survivors were carried on
stretchers into ambulances or wheeled away needing assistance to walk.
Indonesia's Transport
Minister said the ship had capsized.
Rescuers had to battle
waves up to 2.5 metres high to reach the ferry, using two helicopters and
vessels from the navy, police and rescue agency.
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