Indonesian Divers Recover 3 Bodies From Capsized Ferry as Salvage Operation Begins
BANJARMASIN, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescue divers recovered three more bodies Friday from a ferry that capsized in the Java Sea, as authorities prepared to salvage the wreck and continued searching for 126 people still missing, officials said.
The bodies — two men and a woman — were pulled from the wreck after divers entered through a window, said Col. Galih Nurna Putra, commander of the Banjarmasin Naval Base. They were to be transferred to Banjarmasin, the South Kalimantan city where the ferry had been headed.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people when its captain sent a distress call Sunday, reporting that the vessel was listing in rough seas with waves reaching 3 meters (10 feet). The ferry was en route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin on Borneo island.
Authorities lost contact with the ferry around 2 a.m. Sunday and learned about two hours later that it had overturned in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea, roughly 148 kilometers (92 miles) from Banjarmasin.
Its manifest listed 213 passengers and 30 crew members, although passenger totals in Indonesia often differ from official records. The 119-meter (390-foot) ferry, built in Japan in 1987 and operated there until last year, was also carrying 89 vehicles.
Officials said 108 people had been rescued. Yudhi Bramantyo, operations director at Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, said crews had discussed next steps and readied equipment for salvage operations.
“We’ve discussed the next steps and have prepared all the equipment needed to begin salvage operations,” Bramantyo said in a video briefing.
The overturned ferry drifted about 453 meters (1,486 feet) southeast of its original position and came to rest at a depth of 29 meters (95 feet), compared with about 21 meters (69 feet) at the initial sinking site, he said.
The wreck remains partially visible because of the relatively shallow water and clear conditions. Authorities have found no fuel leakage or signs of oil pollution around the vessel, Bramantyo said.
After several days of bad weather, divers and members of the Indonesian navy’s special forces unit reached the wreck Thursday. Earlier attempts had been hindered by strong winds, high waves and currents that at times reached 12.6 kph (7.8 mph).
Divers installed guide ropes to support the underwater operation and reported unusually clear visibility around the wreck, allowing them to see the hull from stern to bow, Bramantyo said.
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common mode of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often cited as a factor.
The disaster has renewed attention to the risks faced by passengers in a sprawling nation where sea travel is often the only practical link between islands. The salvage effort could also give investigators better access to the vessel and allow recovery teams to search sections that divers have not yet reached.
Authorities on Thursday ended a separate, unsuccessful 10-day search for eight people, including five photojournalists, who disappeared while traveling by speedboat to Anak Krakatau volcano to report on its eruption.
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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.