# 241 aboard, then silence in the Java Sea

> A ferry bound for Borneo hit bad weather, stopped answering, and Indonesia scrambled every boat it had.
- Title: 241 aboard, then silence in the Java Sea · CBS News | Shortify
- Summary: A ferry bound for Borneo hit bad weather, stopped answering, and Indonesia scrambled every boat it had. The Virgo Transport 8 vanished about 92 miles short…
- Keywords: indonesia, java sea, shipwreck, search and rescue, ferry, news, 241, aboard, silence, Java, Sea, CBS News
- Source: CBS News — https://cbsnews.com/news/indonesian-passenger-ship-missing-search-underway
- Published: 2026-09-13T03:56:21+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: indonesia, java sea, shipwreck, search and rescue, ferry, news
## A ship stops answering
Indonesian rescuers launched a search Sunday after contact was lost with a passenger ship carrying more than 240 people across the Java Sea.
## Two hours of nothing
The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office only got the report two hours after contact with the Virgo Transport 8 broke off around 2 a.m. Sunday.
## Bad weather, then quiet
The operator told authorities only after hearing the vessel had run into rough conditions on its run from Surabaya to Borneo.

> The ship's operator reported the incident to authorities after receiving information that the vessel had encountered bad weather
## 92 miles from port
The last known position put the ship in open water, roughly 92 miles from a pier in Banjarmasin. The manifest listed 241 passengers.
## Boats in the water
A rescue team deployed to Banjarmasin's Basirih pier and a rescue ship headed for the vessel's estimated last position.
## Everything they have
Search chief I Putu Sudayana said all available personnel and assets were mobilized because of the sheer number aboard, with weather watched closely. No casualties reported yet.
## Key takeaway

The Virgo Transport 8 vanished about 92 miles short of Banjarmasin with 241 people listed on its manifest, and the search began hours after contact was already lost.