The death toll from Indonesia’s Virgo Transport 8 ferry, which capsized on September 13, rose to 66 on Monday, the 16th day of the search. Another 108 people survived and 69 remain missing as divers face leaking fuel and unstable wreckage.
The ferry was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew, from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it capsized in bad weather. Search official Hardiansyah Putra said divers were aiming to find missing passengers in the cabins and were limited to a depth of 27 metres.
Senior search official I Putu Sudayana said rescuers were expected to airlift some recovered bodies by helicopter on Monday. He said hazards had prevented divers from entering compartments and that the ship’s operator needed to right the vessel and bring it to the surface.
