Indonesia Searches for 129 After Java Sea Ferry Sinks, Killing at Least 6

Q: With 86 rescued and one dead, what happened to the remaining 150 passengers after the Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the dark?

The fate of the remaining roughly 150 people was still unknown at the time of the latest reports; they were being treated as missing after the Virgo Transport 8 capsized overnight in the Java Sea. Authorities said 86 survivors had been picked up by three nearby vessels — 16 by TB Mauhaw IX, 38 by TB TCP, and 32 by MV Haida — while one death had been confirmed. Based on the ship’s reported passenger total of 241 to 243 people, that left about 154 to 156 unaccounted for, though some figures may still have been under verification because Indonesian reports differed slightly on the manifest. What appears to have happened is that many of those still unaccounted for were either stranded at sea after the ship overturned in darkness and bad weather, or had not yet been reached or identified when the early rescue numbers were released. The vessel reportedly lost contact around 2 a.m., and rescuers were working from its last known position about 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin. Search teams from Basarnas and other Indonesian maritime agencies were sent to the area, and an operations post was established at Trisakti. Officials were also coordinating with port, navy, police and navigation authorities while monitoring rough weather, which may have hampered both the initial distress response and the accounting of passengers. So, the short answer is that the remaining passengers had not been confirmed rescued or dead; they were still the subject of an active search-and-rescue operation.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 14

129 people were still unaccounted for Monday after the Virgo Transport-8 sank in the Java Sea, with authorities confirming at least six deaths and 108 rescues.
The ferry lost contact around 2 a.m. Sunday about 93 miles south of Banjarmasin while sailing from Surabaya to Borneo through rough seas.
Survivors told rescuers waves washed into the vessel before it went down; Indonesia’s search agency said the cause remains under investigation.
Aircraft, rescue boats and nearby ships were combing the area, while Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ferry was not overloaded and could carry about 500 passengers.
Ferry accidents are common in Indonesia’s 17,000-island archipelago; one of the worst, the 1981 Tampomas II disaster, killed more than 400 people.