JAKARTA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the capsized Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea off South Kalimantan rose to 28 on Wednesday, with 107 people still missing, according to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
The passenger vessel departed Surabaya in East Java on Sept. 12 for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. It encountered bad weather during the voyage and lost contact at around 2 a.m. local time on Sept. 13.
"A total of 136 victims have been found, including 108 survivors and 28 deceased. There are still 107 people being searched for," Basarnas chief Mohammad Syafii said, giving the latest update on the search and rescue operation.
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. ■
