Indonesia launches search for ship carrying 240 after contact lost in Java Sea

Indonesian rescuers launched a search operation on Sunday after losing contact with a passenger ship carrying 240 people in the Java Sea, raising concern for those aboard as authorities scrambled to locate the vessel.

The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java, Indonesia's second-largest city, to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan on the island of Borneo when communication with the ship was lost, officials said.

The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin said it received information that the vessel had suffered a communication failure while en route to the provincial capital.

Initial information placed the ship's last known position in the Java Sea, about 148 km (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or confirmation of any injuries among the 240 people on board.

Arianto Ardi, operations chief at Banjarmasin's rescue agency, confirmed that authorities had lost contact with the vessel and said rescue personnel had been dispatched to search the area.

"We have established an operations post at Trisakti," Arianto said.

The incident was reported by the ship's operator after authorities received information that the vessel had encountered bad weather, adding urgency to the search effort.

Rescue teams were working to establish the ship's whereabouts and determine what happened after communication was disrupted.

With hundreds of passengers aboard and the vessel's last known location in open waters, authorities were continuing efforts to locate the ship and assess the situation.