JAKARTA: Hundreds of Indonesian rescuers battled rough seas on Monday to search for 129 people still missing after the passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea, officials said.
The vessel, carrying 243 people from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, went missing during severe weather early Sunday.
Authorities have rescued 108 people, while officials confirmed six deaths.
National rescue agency chief Mohammad Syafii said high waves and strong winds were hampering operations and preventing teams from safely entering the partially submerged vessel.
More Than 600 Personnel Join Search Operation
Authorities deployed at least 622 personnel, 17 ships, five helicopters and aircraft to search for survivors.
Moreover, specialised underwater rescue personnel remain on standby, although Syafii said current sea conditions made deploying them unsafe.
The wreck lies about 80 nautical miles, or nearly 150 kilometres, from the rescue command centre at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin.
Officials said the journey takes around five hours in favourable weather but can stretch to nine hours during rough conditions.
Three-Metre Waves Reportedly Struck Vessel
Syafii said waves reaching three metres hit the ship during extremely poor weather.
Another rescue official said the vessel leaned heavily after strong waves struck its starboard side before it capsized.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the vessel had capacity for 500 passengers and was therefore not overloaded.
Indonesia relies heavily on ferries and passenger ships to connect its approximately 17,000 islands. However, the country has experienced repeated maritime accidents.
Last month, two separate ferry fires killed six people, including five near Madura Island and one aboard a vessel travelling from Bali.
