Story perspectives

Search continues for Virgo Transport 8 with 126 missing

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 3:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency deployed 17 ships and five aircraft to locate the Virgo Transport 8 ferry.
The ferry carried 243 people and 89 vehicles from Surabaya to Banjarmasin when contact was lost 2 a.m. Sunday.
Rescuers recovered six bodies and rescued 108 passengers on Sunday.
Deaths rose to nine after three additional bodies were found Friday.
Divers, including 60 navy personnel, continue searching at 29 meters depth, with 126 people missing.

History

Historical Context

On 20 December 1987, the Philippine ferry MV Doña Paz collided with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait, killing an estimated 4,385 people and becoming the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster. The incident still shapes regional safety awareness. Today Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency has deployed 17 ships, five aircraft and 60 divers to locate the missing Virgo Transport 8 ferry.

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Story summary

Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency deployed 17 ships and five aircraft to locate the Virgo Transport 8 ferry.
The ferry carried 243 people and 89 vehicles from Surabaya to Banjarmasin when contact was lost 2 a.m. Sunday.
Rescuers recovered six bodies and rescued 108 passengers on Sunday.
Deaths rose to nine after three additional bodies were found Friday.
Divers, including 60 navy personnel, continue searching at 29 meters depth, with 126 people missing.

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