Java Sea Ferry Disaster: Death Toll Reaches 64 as Search for Missing Extended
Indonesian rescuers have recovered more bodies from a ferry that capsized in the Java Sea two weeks ago, raising the death toll to 64. The search for 71 missing people has been extended by seven days.
Indonesian search teams have pulled additional bodies from the wreck of a ferry that went down in the Java Sea two weeks ago, pushing the confirmed death toll to 64, the National Search and Rescue Agency said.
The vessel, Virgo Transport 8, was sailing from Surabaya to Borneo island when it lost contact with its operator. It had been carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members. So far, 108 people have been rescued.
On Friday, rescuers found four bodies inside the submerged ferry and recovered seven more along nearby shorelines, according to Yudhi Bramantyo, the agency's operation director.
With 71 people still unaccounted for and all presumed dead, the search operation has been extended for another seven days. Bramantyo said the effort will be reviewed every three days to determine whether it should continue.
Under Indonesian regulations, search-and-rescue missions typically run for seven days but can be prolonged if authorities believe more victims might still be located.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries for transportation. Maritime disasters are common in the region, with weak safety enforcement frequently cited as a contributing factor.