Java Sea Mystery: Ship Carrying 240 Passengers Goes Missing, Indonesia Launches Rescue Operation

A passenger ship carrying 240 people lost contact in Indonesia’s Java Sea while travelling from East Java to South Kalimantan. Rescue teams have launched a search operation, with no casualties reported so far.

Post Published By: Sreeja Chowdhury

Updated : 13 September 2026, 9:15 AM IST

No immediate reports of casualties (Img: Pinterest)

Jakarta: Indonesian authorities have launched a major search and rescue operation after a passenger ship carrying 240 people lost communication in the Java Sea on Sunday. The vessel was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when contact was lost.

The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin confirmed that the ship, identified as Virgo Transport 8, suffered a communication failure while sailing towards its destination.

Vessel Lost Contact During Journey to Borneo

According to officials, the ship’s last known location was around 148 kilometres from a pier in Banjarmasin. The exact circumstances behind the loss of contact are still being investigated.

Arianto Ardi, operations chief at the Banjarmasin rescue agency, confirmed that rescue teams had been sent to the area to locate the vessel and assist passengers.

Bad Weather Reported Before Communication Failure

Authorities said the ship operator informed officials after receiving information that the vessel had encountered difficult weather conditions during the journey.

An operations post has been established at Trisakti to coordinate the search and rescue efforts. Officials have not reported any casualties so far, while teams continue efforts to establish contact with the ship.

The Java Sea is a busy maritime route connecting several Indonesian islands, and authorities are closely monitoring the situation as the search operation progresses.