JAKARTA — Rough seas were still hindering Indonesian rescuers on Tuesday as they searched for 129 people missing after a passenger ship capsized in the Java Sea three days earlier, Reuters reported.
The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 people from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, went missing in bad weather early Sunday. At least six people have died and 108 have been rescued. Waves of 1.75 to 2.5 meters (5.7–8.2 feet) limited teams to air and surface searches, said I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin rescue agency.
Authorities deployed about 1,100 coast guard and navy personnel, 10 aircraft and helicopters, and 17 ships. National rescue agency head Mohammad Syafii said Monday’s search found no new survivors or bodies and that underwater operations would proceed only if weather improves. The capsized vessel sits about 30 meters (98 feet) deep and remains unstable.
The navy planned to use its Canopus vessel with an underwater drone, multibeam sonar, and remotely operated vehicle to reduce diver risk in poor visibility and strong currents. “Of course we are still hoping to find the victims alive,” Syafii said.
Sources: Reuters
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