Indonesia ferry death toll hits 66 as wreck search enters 16th day

The death toll from an Indonesian ship that capsized earlier this month rose to 66 as of Monday, as divers braved leaking fuel and dangerously unsound structures to find the 69 passengers still missing on the 16th day of the search, Reuters reported.

The 4,277-ton Virgo Transport 8 ferry was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members and an unknown number of vehicles, when it capsized in bad weather early on 13 September during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. Agency figures put the survivors at 108.

Divers were navigating unstable debris on the 16th day of the search, senior search and rescue agency official Hardiansyah Putra said on Monday, adding that they would aim to find the missing passengers in the cabins. The divers are limited to a maximum depth of 27 metres.

From the Java Sea where the ship sank, rescuers were expected to airlift some recovered bodies using a helicopter on Monday, senior agency official I Putu Sudayana said on Sunday.

Dozens of divers swam through the vessel, contending with unsound structures, side-to-side tilting and dangerously sharp objects scattered throughout the wreck, Putu said, adding that dense gas concentrations and leaking fuel posed further health hazards. Because the divers could not get into the compartments, he said, the ship’s operator needs to right the ship and bring it to the surface.

Indonesia relies on ferries to connect its 17,000 islands, with sea travel cheaper and more accessible than flying, but there have been numerous accidents.

Sources

• Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-ferry-death-toll-hits-66-search-enters-16th-day-2026-09-28/
• The Business Standard / Business Recorder: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40441564
• The Daily Star / TBS News: https://www.tbsnews.net/worldbiz/asia/indonesia-ferry-death-toll-hits-66-search-enters-16th-day-1555841