Java Sea Ferry Toll Reaches 71 as Divers Search Sunken Wreck
Indonesian divers recovered more bodies from a capsized ferry in the Java Sea, raising the death toll to 71, with 64 still missing.
Indonesian rescue teams pulled additional bodies from a ferry that sank in the Java Sea, bringing the confirmed death toll to 71, officials said on Monday. Sixty-four people are still unaccounted for as the search continues.
The vessel, the Virgo Transport 8, went down after losing contact with its operator while sailing from Surabaya toward Borneo. It had been carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members. So far, 108 people have been rescued.
Monday's recoveries followed a decision by authorities to extend the search operation by another seven days, prompted by the large number of people still missing two weeks after the sinking.
Divers have been working on the submerged wreck, breaking windows to enter the vessel, while rubber boats and helicopters have been used to move recovered remains to rescue ships and shore.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries for inter-island travel. Maritime accidents are a recurring problem in the country, with weak enforcement of safety rules frequently cited as a contributing factor.