A passenger ship carrying 240 people lost contact in the Java Sea on Sunday local time, prompting an urgent search by Indonesian authorities.
The Virgo Transport 8 was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin on the island of Borneo when communications with the vessel were cut off, the Associated Press reported, citing Indonesia’s Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office.
Officials said the ship’s last known position was about 92 miles from a pier in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province.
Authorities are searching for the Virgo Transport 8 after the passenger ship lost contact while traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)
Search-and-rescue crews began combing the area after receiving a report that the ship had experienced a communications failure during its journey, according to the AP.
No deaths or injuries had been reported as of Sunday. Authorities had not immediately determined what caused the loss of contact, and it remained unclear whether weather conditions were complicating the operation.
The Virgo Transport 8 lost contact while traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, according to officials. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)
The Virgo Transport 8 left Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, before losing contact as it crossed the Java Sea toward South Kalimantan.
The search for the vessel is continuing.
