Indonesian divers recover bodies from capsized ferry Virgo Transport 8 as massive rescue and salvage operation continues

Indonesian officials report that the ferry Virgo Transport 8 overturned and sank in the Java Sea early Sunday during a scheduled 20‑hour voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. The vessel was carrying 243 people, including 213 passengers and 30 crew, as well as dozens of vehicles. Rough seas with waves of around 3 meters and strong winds were reported at the time of the accident, and the captain issued a distress call before authorities lost contact with the ship. On the day of the sinking, rescuers recovered 108 survivors from the water, but many others were trapped inside the capsized hull. On September 18, navy divers managed to enter the wreck through a window and retrieved the bodies of two men and one woman, raising the official death toll to nine, while more than 120 people are still listed as missing.