JAKARTA, Sept 30 — The death toll from a passenger ship that capsized and sank in Indonesia's Java Sea has risen to 78, said the National Search and Rescue Agency today.
Xinhua reported that the rescue teams are still looking for 57 missing people, while 108 others have been evacuated safely.
The Virgo Transport 8, with 243 people onboard, departed Surabaya in East Java on September 12 for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. It encountered bad weather and lost contact at 2am local time on September 13.
Rescuers have since recovered bodies from inside the ship and along the coast of Central Kalimantan province.
Indonesia, an archipelagic country with around 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries and other forms of sea transportation to connect its islands and facilitate travel. Maritime accidents occur from time to time due to factors including weather conditions, sea conditions, and vessel safety.
