Contact has been lost with a ferry carrying 243 passengers as it sailed through adverse weather conditions from Surabaya, Indonesia, to another coastal city, according to a rescue agency.
The head of the Search and Rescue office in Banjarmasin stated, "We received a report regarding the loss of contact with the vessel (Virgo Transport 8) and immediately dispatched personnel and the rescue ship "Laksamana 241" to the last known estimated location".
The Search and Rescue office in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province, reported that it received a notification of a communication failure with the ship while it was en route to the city from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city located in the East Java province.
Initial information indicated the vessel's last known position was in the Java Sea, approximately 148 kilometers from a port dock in Banjarmasin.
No casualties have been reported immediately.
Authorities mentioned that the ship's operator reported the incident after receiving information that the vessel encountered severe weather.