At least 6 dead, 130 missing after Indonesia passenger vessel accident

At least six people have died after a passenger vessel lost contact in Indonesia's Java Sea, while 130 remain missing and 107 others have been rescued, the country's National Search and Rescue Agency said on Sunday.

Indonesian Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi said at a press conference later on Sunday afternoon that, based on observations by a helicopter crew, the vessel had capsized but had not sunk.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

The country's search and rescue agency had said earlier that the vessel had sunk.

The Chinese Consulate General in Surabaya confirmed to Xinhua that there were no Chinese nationals aboard the ship, citing information verified with relevant authorities of the Surabaya city government.

The passenger ship, Virgo Transport 8, was carrying 243 people when it lost contact at around 2:00 a.m. local time on Sunday after encountering bad weather, according to the search and rescue agency.

The vessel had departed from Surabaya in East Java province on Saturday and was heading to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province.

The cause of the accident remains unclear.

Indonesian search and rescue authorities have deployed personnel, ships and a helicopter to waters near the vessel's last known position to conduct search and rescue operations.

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.

Maritime accidents occur from time to time due to factors including weather conditions, sea conditions and vessel safety.