The vessel, Virgo Transport 8, departed Surabaya in East Java on September 12, 2026, bound for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said the vessel has not yet been located and its exact whereabouts remain unknown.
Search and rescue teams have launched an operation based on the last known location of the boat before communication and tracking were lost.
Authorities said it could take about five hours for a six-member rescue team to reach the area where the vessel was last detected at sea.
Indonesia is an archipelago of thousands of islands and relies heavily on maritime transport to connect communities and move passengers and goods, particularly because air travel can be expensive.
However, safety regulations are not always properly enforced, contributing to frequent maritime accidents, some of which result in significant loss of life.
The latest incident has raised renewed concerns about maritime safety in Indonesia, where rough weather and challenging sea conditions can pose additional risks to passenger vessels.
