The death toll from the ferry sinking with several hundred passengers over two weeks ago has risen to at least 64, while authorities have extended the search for dozens more missing.
Foreign news agencies reported that the death toll from the ferry sinking in Indonesia’s Java Sea nearly two weeks ago has risen to 64, according to officials on Saturday, 26 Sep 2026 GMT+7, as rescue teams extended the search for dozens more missing.
The ferry "Virgo Transport 8" was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew before losing contact with the ferry company after departing Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city on Java Island, bound for Banjarmasin on Borneo Island.
"Of the 243 people on board, 172 have been evacuated, with 108 survivors, 64 dead, and 71 still missing," said Yuti Bramanto, a National Search and Rescue Agency official, in a press briefing.
Yuti said rescue teams recovered four bodies from the sunken vessel underwater on Saturday, while seven others were found along the coastline. The search operation will be extended by seven days, with evaluations every three days.
Typically, search and rescue operations in Indonesia last seven days, but authorities can extend the period depending on factors such as the likelihood of recovering more bodies.
Maritime accidents occur frequently in Indonesia due to its status as a large archipelagic country in Southeast Asia with over 17,000 islands, making sea transport essential for daily travel and tourism.
. cna