Indonesia arrests captain of capsized ferry in Java Sea

The ferry was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, when it lost contact early Sunday while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin on the island of Borneo. At least six people have died and 107 have been rescued, authorities said. Another 130 people are still missing, according to Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, Basarnas.

The captain issued a distress call on Sunday reporting that the vessel was listing in rough seas with waves reaching 3 metres, according to officials. Authorities lost contact with the ferry around 2 a.m. Sunday and learned about two hours later that it had overturned in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea, about 148 kilometres from Banjarmasin. The arrest was confirmed by national police spokesman Yusri Yunus, who said the captain was with police but had not yet been questioned because he was still traumatized.

"The captain of the boat is now with the police," Yunus told Agence France-Presse. Rescue efforts have been hampered by bad weather, with waves up to 2.5 metres. A Basarnas helicopter and several ships have been deployed, and 280 personnel are involved in the search.

Relatives have gathered at ports in Surabaya and Banjarmasin, waiting for news of missing loved ones. Rusmilawati, a resident of Banjarmasin, went to the port to seek information about eight relatives who were on the ship. "They flew there initially, but for the return journey they wanted to try travelling by ship," she told BBC Indonesia.

As of Friday, divers had recovered three more bodies from the wreck, bringing the confirmed death toll to nine, with 126 people still missing, according to officials. The ferry was built in Japan in 1987 and was also transporting 89 vehicles. Authorities said they had not detected any fuel leakage or signs of oil pollution around the wreck.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries, and maritime accidents are common. Government data show 111 ship accidents were recorded between 2020 and 2026. Last month, a separate ferry caught fire off Madura island, killing five people.