A passenger ship carrying 240 people has lost contact in the Java Sea, prompting an urgent search and rescue operation. The Virgo Transport 8 was traveling from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, to Banjarmasin on the island of Borneo when communications were lost on Sunday.
Authorities received a report of a communications failure and immediately launched a search. The vessel was last tracked approximately 92 miles from a pier in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province. As of Sunday, officials had not reported any deaths or injuries, and the cause of the communication loss remained unclear. Weather conditions that might be affecting the search were also not immediately known.
The Virgo Transport 8 departed Surabaya and lost contact while crossing the Java Sea. The search for the ship is ongoing.