JAKARTA, 28th September, 2026 (WAM) -- 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.
The 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 13th September during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
Divers were navigating through unstable debris on the 16th day of the search, Hardiansyah Putra, a senior official from the country's search and rescue agency, said on Monday, adding that they would aim to find the missing passengers in the cabins.
The current death toll stands at 66 people, with 108 survivors and 69 still missing, agency figures show.