Jakarta, September 13: Indonesian authorities launched a search operation on Sunday after a passenger ship carrying around 240 people lost contact while travelling from East Java to South Kalimantan on Borneo island, officials said.
The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province, said it received a report that the Virgo Transport 8 had experienced a communication failure while sailing from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, towards Banjarmasin.
According to initial information, the vessel’s last known position was in the Java Sea, approximately 148 kilometres from a pier in Banjarmasin.
Rescue teams have begun efforts to locate the ship and determine the circumstances surrounding the loss of communication.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Further details are awaited.
