JAKARTA: A passenger vessel carrying 243 people has gone missing in Indonesia after losing contact with authorities while sailing through the Java Sea.
According to international media reports, the vessel was travelling from Surabaya in Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, when communication with the authorities was interrupted.
A total of 243 people were on board. Rescue teams have so far rescued 103 passengers, while the death of one person has been confirmed. The whereabouts and condition of the remaining passengers are still being investigated.
Indonesia’s search and rescue office said the vessel’s last known location was in the Java Sea, around 148 kilometres from a port in Banjarmasin. Authorities have launched a search operation to locate the vessel and the remaining passengers.
Officials said that during the last communication with the vessel, the crew reported encountering bad weather. Difficult sea conditions are believed to be one of the factors that may have contributed to the incident.
Search and rescue teams are continuing operations in the Java Sea. Authorities are using available information about the vessel’s last known position to determine its possible location.
The rescue of more than 100 people has provided some relief, but concern remains for those who are still unaccounted for. Officials are expected to release further information as the search operation progresses.
The incident highlights the risks faced by maritime passenger services in Indonesia, where boats and ships are widely used to connect the country’s numerous islands.
Authorities are also working to establish exactly what happened after the vessel reported bad weather and subsequently lost contact
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