Rescuers search for 129 still missing after ferry capsizes in Indonesia, killing six

A ferry, Virgo Transport 8, capsized in rough seas after departing Surabaya, East Java, resulting in six fatalities and 129 people missing, while 108 passengers were rescued.

The incident occurred as the vessel listed during the journey, triggering panic among passengers who scrambled for life jackets without warnings from crew members.

Indonesian rescue teams, battling challenging weather, are conducting search efforts using helicopters and various naval support, while relatives await updates at a command center in Banjarmasin.

Marine accidents are frequent in Indonesia, largely due to lax safety measures and unpredictable weather conditions.

BANJARMASIN, Sept 14 — Rescuers in Indonesia said at least six people were killed and 129 others were missing after a ferry capsized in rough seas yesterday, with one survivor recounting scenes of panic as passengers scrambled for life jackets.

The Virgo Transport 8 — which authorities said carried 213 passengers and 30 crew — lost contact with its shipping company early yesterday after departing from Surabaya in East Java.

Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, said six people were killed and 129 others were missing.

Another 108 people were rescued.

“People were panicking. Some climbed onto tables, some were pushing each other,” survivor Rinto Arahap, 33, told AFP.

He said many passengers were asleep when the vessel began listing at around 2.00am yesterday (1800 GMT Saturday), adding that he heard what sounded like metal breaking about five hours into the journey.

With waves more than two metres (6.6 feet) high, people began shouting and fighting for life jackets as the vessel tilted, Arahap said.

“There was no warning from the ship’s crew. Basically, it was just someone taking the initiative, shouting, ‘Oh, the ship is listing, listing, listing,’” he said from a stretcher at a health facility in Banjarmasin, where survivors were taken.

‘Didn’t save anything’

The first rescue ship carrying survivors arrived before nightfall at a pier in Banjarmasin, on the southern coast of Borneo island, an AFP reporter saw.

Some of the survivors were carried on stretchers into waiting ambulances. Others were put into wheelchairs or needed help walking.

Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ship had capsized.

Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana earlier told AFP that the ship’s captain had reported to its owners before losing contact that the vessel was “tilting”.

Rescuers battled waves of up to 2.5 metres to reach the ferry, Sudayana told reporters.

Two helicopters were involved in the search, as well as other vessels from the navy, police, the rescue agency and the ferry company.

The vessel’s last position had been detected in the Java Sea, around 150 kilometres (93 miles) from its destination.

Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, said the ship, which was also carrying vehicles, lost contact at 2.00am yesterday.

“We responded quickly to the incident report,” he said.

Arahap told AFP he grabbed a life jacket before the ship overturned, saying he and others were adrift for about four hours before they were rescued.

“I didn’t save anything, just myself,” said Arahap, who was travelling to Samarinda in East Kalimantan to start work on a palm oil plantation.

My wallet, everything... was lost. Things like my school diploma were gone. All my clothes were swept away.”

Rescue authorities have established a command centre at the Banjarmasin port, with paramedics and ambulances on standby, an AFP reporter saw.

Dozens of relatives and friends of the passengers checked a whiteboard where the names of people rescued were being updated.

Jenah, 26, told AFP she came to the command post for information about her older brother.

“I am saddened and very shocked. Until now, I haven’t received any more information,” said Jenah, who like many Indonesians has only one name.

“He was travelling alone. I hope he survives. I couldn’t contact him since last night.”

Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on boat connections for daily transport and tourism.

Lax safety standards and unpredictable weather are the main reasons for the disasters.

On today, a speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists working for local and international news agencies, went missing near a volcano, Mount Anak Krakatau, in Banten province. That search is ongoing. — AFP

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一艘名为“Virgo Transport 8”的渡轮从东爪哇泗水出发后，在波涛汹涌的海面上倾覆，造成6人死亡，129人失踪，108名乘客获救。

事件发生时，船只在航行途中倾斜，引发乘客恐慌，乘客们争相寻找救生衣，而船员们却没有发出任何警告。

印尼救援队冒着恶劣天气，利用直升机和各种海军支援力量展开搜救行动，而家属们则在班贾尔马辛的指挥中心等待最新消息。

印度尼西亚海事事故频发，主要原因是安全措施松懈和天气状况难以预测。

班贾尔马辛，9 月 14 日——印尼救援人员称，昨天一艘渡轮在波涛汹涌的海面上倾覆，造成至少 6 人死亡，129 人失踪。一名幸存者描述了乘客争抢救生衣时的恐慌场景。

据当局称，Virgo Transport 8 号货轮载有 213 名乘客和 30 名船员，昨天清晨从东爪哇泗水出发后，与船运公司失去了联系。

印尼国家搜救机构Basarnas表示，有6人遇难，另有129人失踪。

另有108人获救。

“人们惊慌失措。有些人爬上桌子，有些人互相推搡，”33岁的幸存者林托·阿拉哈普告诉法新社。

他说，昨天凌晨 2 点左右（格林尼治标准时间周六 18:00），当这艘船开始倾斜时，许多乘客都在睡觉。他还说，大约在航行 5 个小时后，他听到类似金属断裂的声音。

阿拉哈普说，当时海浪高达两米多（6.6英尺），船只倾斜，人们开始大声喊叫并争抢救生衣。

“船员没有任何警告。基本上就是有人主动喊道，‘哦，船倾斜了，倾斜了，倾斜了’，”他在班贾尔马辛一家医疗机构的担架上说道，幸存者都被送往了那里。

“什么都没保存”

法新社记者看到，第一艘载有幸存者的救援船在夜幕降临前抵达婆罗洲岛南部海岸的班贾尔马辛码头。

一些幸存者被用担架抬上等候的救护车。另一些人则被安置在轮椅上，或者需要搀扶才能行走。

印尼交通部长杜迪·普瓦甘迪表示，这艘船已经倾覆。

当地搜救负责人伊·普图·苏达亚纳早前告诉法新社，船长在失去联系前曾向船东报告说，这艘船正在“倾斜”。

苏达亚纳告诉记者，救援人员与高达 2.5 米的巨浪搏斗，才抵达渡轮。

参与搜救的有两架直升机，以及海军、警察、救援机构和渡轮公司的其他船只。

该船的最后位置是在爪哇海，距离其目的地约 150 公里（93 英里）。

班贾尔马辛海港管理局局长赫里·普尔万托表示，这艘载有车辆的船只于昨天凌晨 2 点失去联系。

他说：“我们对事件报告做出了迅速反应。”

阿拉哈普告诉法新社，在船倾覆之前，他抓住了一件救生衣，他说他和船上其他人漂流了大约四个小时后才获救。

“我什么都没存，只存了我自己的东西，”阿拉哈普说道。他当时正前往东加里曼丹的萨马林达，准备在棕榈油种植园开始工作。

我的钱包，所有东西……都丢了。连我的毕业证书都没了。我的衣服全都被冲走了。

法新社记者看到，救援部门已在班贾尔马辛港设立指挥中心，医护人员和救护车随时待命。

数十名乘客的亲友查看了一块白板，上面不断更新着获救人员的姓名。

26岁的珍娜告诉法新社，她来到指挥中心是为了打听她哥哥的消息。

“我感到悲伤和震惊。直到现在，我还没有收到任何进一步的消息，”珍娜说道，她和许多印尼人一样，只有一个名字。

“他独自旅行。我希望他能平安无事。我从昨晚就联系不上他了。”

在印度尼西亚，海上事故屡见不鲜。印度尼西亚是一个拥有 17000 多个岛屿的群岛国家，日常交通和旅游业严重依赖船只往来。

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