Jakarta, IndonesiaAP — Indonesian rescuers launched a search operation Sunday after a passenger ship carrying at least 240 people lost contact in the Java Sea while traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, officials said. The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province, said they received a report that Virgo Transport 8 had experienced a communication failure while en route to the city from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city, in East Java province. Initial information indicated that the ship’s last known position was in the Java Sea, about 148 kilometers (92 miles) from a dock in Banjarmasin. The ship’s manifest said it was carrying 241 passengers. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Arianto Ardi, head of operations at the Banjarmasin rescue agency, confirmed the loss of contact with the ship and said rescue personnel had been sent to the area. “We have established an operating post in Trisakti,” Arianto said. Authorities said the ship’s operator reported the incident after receiving information that the ship had encountered bad weather.
