The confirmed death toll from the Virgo Transport 8 ferry disaster has risen to 66, while 69 people remain missing and 108 survived, according to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency on September 28. The passenger/vehicle ferry was carrying 243 people when it capsized in bad weather early September 13 during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. The search has now entered its 16th day, with divers trying to reach cabins inside the submerged wreck while contending with leaking fuel, trapped gases, unstable internal structures and shifting sections of the vessel. Investigators have not yet established the cause of the casualty.
Java Sea Ferry Disaster · September 28, 2026
Search Enters Day 16 With 135 People Dead or Missing
66
confirmed fatalities
The number of confirmed deaths has risen sharply as divers gain access to parts of the wreck and additional victims are recovered from shorelines far from the sinking site.
Virgo Transport 8
A passenger and vehicle Ro-Ro ferry operating a regular inter-island route across the Java Sea.
DepartureSurabaya
→
DestinationBanjarmasin
Early September 13
The ferry encountered rough weather, developed a severe list and lost contact before capsizing in the Java Sea.
Survivors108
All survivors were recovered during the initial phase of the emergency.
Confirmed Dead66
Fatalities confirmed by Basarnas as of September 28.
Still Missing69
Search teams believe additional victims may remain inside the wreck.
Manifest Total243
213 passengers and 30 crew were officially listed aboard.
The search has shifted inside the ship
Surface rescue operations recovered 108 survivors on the first day. The current mission is increasingly an underwater recovery operation focused on cabins and internal compartments of the submerged ferry.
Wreck Depth~29 m
Basarnas reported the wreck settling to roughly this depth after sinking.
Dive Limit~27 m
Current safety conditions have restricted how deeply divers can work around sections of the wreck.
The operation moved from mass surface rescue to a difficult underwater search as the overturned ferry settled onto the seabed and divers began entering its internal spaces.
SEPT. 136 Dead129 missing · 108 survivors
Passing vessels, rescue craft and aircraft recovered survivors from around the overturned ferry during the first day.
SEPT. 2327 Dead108 still missing
Divers recovered nine additional victims from inside the submerged vessel as underwater access improved.
SEPT. 2664 Dead71 still missing
Recoveries accelerated from both the wreck and distant shorelines, prompting another extension of the SAR operation.
SEPT. 2866 Dead69 still missing
Divers are continuing cabin searches while authorities assess how salvage work can improve access to the wreck.
Inside the wreck
The major obstacle is no longer simply locating the ferry. It is safely reaching spaces inside a large Ro-Ro vessel that is resting in an unstable position.
!
Unstable structure
Rescuers report internal debris and sections of the vessel shifting as divers work around and inside the hull.
F
Fuel leakage
Fuel escaping from the wreck adds contamination and health risks to underwater operations.
G
Dense gas concentrations
Basarnas says gas conditions have forced dive times to be shortened and prevented entry into some compartments.
↕
Changing orientation
Movement of the wreck complicates penetration dives and increases the risk of entrapment.
Cause remains under investigation
Several facts are known, but none has yet been established by investigators as the definitive cause of the capsize.
≈
Severe list before capsizing
The vessel reported a major list after encountering rough weather. One survivor described an angle of roughly 30 degrees before the ferry overturned.
10
Rapid loss of stability
One crew survivor told Reuters the ship went from heavy listing to fully overturned in less than ten minutes.
39
1987-built vessel
The former Japanese ferry entered Indonesian service in 2026 after decades of operation overseas.
✓
Certificates were current
Tanjung Perak port authorities said its safety certificate remained valid through February 2027 and class verification for hull and machinery through May 2027.
IMO8625179
Permanent vessel identification number.
Built1987
Constructed in Japan.
Length119 m
Passenger/Ro-Ro cargo vessel.
Gross Tonnage4,277 GT
Vessel registry figure.
Vehicles89
Reported aboard on the final voyage.
No official cause has been determined.
Bad weather is an early line of inquiry, and the investigation is also expected to examine vessel stability, cargo and vehicle distribution, modifications, watertight integrity, operating decisions and other technical and human factors. Age or hull modification alone does not establish causation.
Ship Universe Casualty Status Tracker
Manifest & Recovery Reconciliation
Track how the official casualty picture changes as search teams recover additional victims and reconcile the vessel's manifest.
people
people
people
people
day
vehicles
People Accounted For
174
survivors plus confirmed fatalities
Survivor Share
44.4%
survivors relative to the entered manifest
Confirmed Fatality Share
27.2%
confirmed deaths relative to the manifest
Missing Share
28.4%
people still unaccounted for
Manifest Reconciliation
0
difference between manifest and survivor/death/missing totals
Search Day
16
current entered search-operation day
Manifest Status
Each bar shows the proportion of the 243-person manifest represented by the latest entered figures.
Survivors108
Confirmed Fatalities66
Missing69
Selected Snapshot
September 28
Official figures can change rapidly during a prolonged maritime casualty operation. Use the date buttons to compare how the confirmed toll has evolved.
Manifest243
Accounted174
Missing69
Vehicles89
Data note:
This tool reconciles reported casualty figures only. A person is counted as "accounted for" when confirmed alive or deceased. Missing passengers remain a separate category until authorities formally update their status.
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