BANJARMASIN, thekabarnews.com – Indonesian search and rescue teams recovered six bodies and rescued at least 107 people after the KM Virgo Transport 8 overturned in severe weather in the Java Sea on Sunday, September 13.

Around 130 passengers and crew members remained unaccounted for by Sunday afternoon. Authorities continued to verify the passenger manifest and survivor records, meaning the figures could change as the operation progressed.

KM Virgo Transport 8 was sailing from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, when its captain reported rough seas and waves reaching three meters.

He later informed the operator that the vessel was listing before communication stopped at approximately 2 a.m. local time.

The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas Banjarmasin) received the emergency report about two hours later.

Authorities subsequently obtained information indicating that the vessel had overturned near its last recorded position, approximately 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin.

An earlier update from Basarnas Banjarmasin head and SAR Mission Coordinator I Putu Sudayana recorded 103 evacuees: 97 survivors and six fatalities.

That count left 140 people missing from the 243 people listed aboard. Rescue teams later found additional survivors, reducing the number still unaccounted for to around 130.

“TB Mahao IX evacuated 16 people, comprising 15 survivors and one fatality. TB TCP evacuated 38 people, including 33 survivors and five fatalities,” Putu said in the earlier operational update.

He added that MV Haida evacuated another 49 people.

“All victims evacuated by MV Haida were reported safe,” he said.

Authorities had not immediately released the identities of the six people who died.

The ferry’s manifest listed 243 people aboard, consisting of 213 passengers and 30 crew members. It was also carrying 89 vehicles.

Officials continued checking the manifest against evacuation records, as the number of people travelling on Indonesian ferries can sometimes differ from the official list.

Indonesia deployed eight vessels, including four navy ships, as the search expanded around the capsized ferry’s last known position.

Two helicopters also supported the operation from the air. Commercial vessels operating nearby helped rescue passengers before dedicated SAR assets reached the area.

The rescue operation remained focused on finding survivors and transferring evacuees to medical facilities.

Authorities urged passengers’ families to rely on updates from Basarnas and other official agencies as teams continued reconciling the rapidly changing figures.