Indonesia ferry sinking death toll rises to 64

The death toll from the Virgo Transport 8 ferry sinking in Indonesia's Java Sea has risen to 64, National Search and Rescue Agency official Yudhi Bramantyo said Saturday, with 71 people still being searched for.

Yudhi said the ferry was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew when it lost contact with its shipping company after leaving Surabaya on Java island for Banjarmasin on Borneo.

“Out of 243 persons onboard, 172 have been evacuated, 108 survived, 64 died, and 71 are still being searched for,” he told a news conference.

Rescuers recovered four bodies from the submerged ship on Saturday and found seven others along the shoreline, Yudhi said. He said the search would be extended for another seven days and evaluated every three days.

Search-and-rescue operations in Indonesia usually last seven days, but authorities can extend them based on factors including whether more victims may still be recovered. Marine accidents regularly occur in Indonesia, an archipelago that relies heavily on boat connections for transport and tourism.