Indonesian Ferry Disaster: 6 Confirmed Dead, Over 100 Rescued As Search For 130 Continues 

According to a report by the BBC, six people have died and 107 have been rescued after Indonesian passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 went missing in the Java Sea. The ship was carrying 243 people — 213 passengers and 30 crew.

The contact was lost around 02:00 local time on Sunday while the ferry was travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin in bad weather. It was about 150km south of Banjarmasin when signal was lost.

Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said 130 people are still missing. A joint task force of the navy, maritime police and 280 personnel with ships and a helicopter has been deployed to find them.

Families have gathered at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin. One woman said eight of her relatives were on board returning from a visit to tombs of Islamic scholars in Java.

The incident comes a month after another ferry fire off Madura Island killed five. Indonesia has over 17,000 islands where ferries are a common transport means.