129 still missing after ferry capsizes in Java Sea

JAKARTA: Indonesian rescuers pressed on with the search for 129 people still missing after the ferry KM Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea on Sunday, with 108 people rescued and six confirmed dead as of Monday morning.

A total of 622 personnel and about 12 vessels were deployed in the operation, which resumed early on Monday, the head of the Banjarmasin search and rescue office, I Putu Sudayana, said.

The ferry was on its way from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, when the incident happened. Its manifest listed 243 people, made up of 213 passengers and 30 crew members.

Three patrol vessels deployed

Indonesian police deployed three patrol vessels to assist the search, and set up six disaster victim identification posts and information centres across East Java and South Kalimantan to help families of those on board.

The cause of the incident is still under investigation, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said.

Casualty figures still differ

Casualty figures still differ between agencies. A police statement covering Sunday's developments put the number at 118 missing, 124 rescued and one dead.

The figures used in this report are the latest update from the search and rescue agency on Monday morning.