Indonesian authorities stepped up a search Monday for 129 people still missing after a ferry overturned in rough weather in the Java Sea, killing at least six people.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying more than 240 people when its captain sent a distress call, reporting that the ferry was tilting in rough seas with waves reaching up to 3 meters (10 feet). The vessel was traveling from Surabaya in East Java province to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province on Borneo Island.
Authorities lost contact with the ferry around 2 a.m. Sunday. About two hours later, they were informed that the vessel had overturned in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea, about 148 kilometers (92 miles) from Banjarmasin.
Footage released by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency showed the overturned ferry floating in rough waters as a helicopter searched the area.
Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, said 17 ships and aircraft, carrying about 655 personnel from the military, police and other agencies, were involved in the search Monday.
Specialized underwater teams and navy-operated underwater thermal drones were also being deployed to help locate and rescue victims.
“We remain hopeful of finding more survivors,” Syafii said during a video briefing.
Search teams, assisted by tugboats and other vessels in the area, rescued 108 people and recovered six bodies on Sunday.
According to the passenger manifest, the ferry was carrying 243 people, including 213 passengers and 30 crew members. However, passenger numbers in Indonesia often differ from official manifests. The 119-meter (390-foot) ferry, built in Japan in 1987, was also carrying 89 vehicles.
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the ferry to overturn.
Survivors describe moments of panic
Survivor Ahmad Saudi said the ferry appeared overcrowded, with many passengers sleeping in hallways and common areas because all cabins were occupied.
Saudi, a bus driver who was traveling with a vehicle he was transporting, said the ferry suddenly began to tilt as rough seas hit it, causing panic among passengers.
Passengers first tried to hold on before moving toward the higher side of the vessel as it tilted further. Saudi suggested that trucks loaded on one side may have affected the ferry's balance.
“The women staying in the economy-class cabins likely didn't survive because the ferry listed so quickly,” Saudi said. “There were no alarms or announcements warning passengers about what was happening, many people in the cabins may not have had enough time to get out.”
Another survivor, Faisal, who uses one name, said he and 14 other passengers held onto a part of the overturned ferry that remained above the water.
“After the ship listed, people panicked and rushed to the upper deck, but eventually the ferry rolled over completely,” he said. “Fourteen of us were left stranded there.”
The group repeatedly recited the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan, while waiting for rescue and struggling with exhaustion and rough seas. Faisal said a wave eventually pushed him toward a lifeboat, helping him survive.
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are widely used for transportation. Ferry accidents are relatively common, partly because of weak enforcement of safety regulations.