Indonesia is grappling with a rising number of maritime disasters as its ferry network, a crucial transportation lifeline for millions, continues to experience frequent and deadly incidents. In the first eight months of this year, the country’s search and rescue agency, Basarnas, recorded over 600 maritime accidents, up sharply from 450 in 2025.
The latest tragedy involves the Virgo Transport 8, a 39-year-old roll-on/roll-off ferry that capsized in the Java Sea while en route from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. The vessel, carrying at least 243 passengers and crew along with 89 vehicles, sank during monsoonal conditions on September 13. As of Monday, rescue divers from Basarnas and the Indonesian navy had recovered 108 survivors and 12 bodies, with 123 people still missing. The ferry lies upside down at a depth of 29 meters, and many passengers are believed to remain trapped inside its compartments.
The Virgo Transport 8 had initially been designed for short-distance, enclosed water routes in Japan but was modified in Indonesia for open-water voyages, a change experts say may have compromised the ferry’s structural integrity. Authorities and analysts have raised questions regarding the vessel’s seaworthiness, particularly since it exceeded the Indonesian Trade Ministry’s 25-year age limit for ships operating at sea.
This incident is one of four major deadly ferry accidents since July, collectively resulting in at least 204 dead or missing individuals, including two ferry fires in August. The series of disasters has sparked widespread public and political demands for stringent enforcement of maritime safety regulations.
Syaiful Huda, a member of the Indonesian parliamentary commission overseeing transportation, criticized chronic safety breaches, particularly inaccurate passenger manifests that often underreport the number of travelers onboard. He described such practices as a blatant disregard for public safety and emphasized that these disasters are not merely acts of fate or consequences of adverse weather but are symptomatic of systemic negligence and weak regulatory oversight.
Criticism has also been directed at the crew’s conduct during the Virgo Transport 8 sinking, with reports suggesting that the captain and multiple crew members abandoned ship while passengers remained trapped inside. Additionally, questions have surfaced about the functionality of the ship’s alarms and safety systems at the time of the accident.
Indonesia’s ferry fleet is widely recognized as aging and poorly maintained, with a history marred by corruption and insufficient regulatory enforcement. Transport analysts have urged authorities to clarify the criteria and procedures behind the issuance of seaworthiness certificates to ensure that vessels meet safety standards before operation.
The ongoing maritime safety crisis coincides with Indonesia’s recent acquisition of its first aircraft carrier, the 41-year-old ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, donated by Italy and slated for a costly retrofit. This has sparked debate over national priorities amid pressing public safety concerns in the country’s civilian transport sector.
As Indonesia continues to rely heavily on its maritime transportation network, the urgency to address these systemic challenges grows, highlighting the need for comprehensive reforms to safeguard the lives of millions who depend on ferry travel across the archipelago.