In an earlier statement, the country’s search and rescue agency said the Virgo Transport 8 ship set sail on Saturday from Surabaya, East Java, to the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin on Borneo before losing contact.
“At the time of this statement, the ship cannot be contacted and its whereabouts are unknown,” the agency said.
It later said 103 people have been rescued, 140 are still missing, and one person has died.
The Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin said it received a report that the ship had experienced a communication failure, with initial information indicating the vessel’s last known position was about 92 miles (148 kilometres) from a pier.
The ship’s operator, PT Virgo Yoel Rihi, reported the loss of contact and said the vessel departed from Surabaya on Saturday at 10.13am local time (4.13pm UK time).
The Search and Rescue Office said it received a report two hours after contact was lost with the ship at around 2am on Sunday.
A rescue team was dispatched to Banjarmasin’s Basirih Search and Rescue pier, and a rescue ship was headed to the ship’s estimated last known position.
I Putu Sudayana, who heads the search and rescue office, said authorities were mobilising all available personnel and assets because of the large number of crew and passengers who were on board.
He said the agency was coordinating with maritime authorities and other relevant agencies in the search, while closely monitoring weather conditions.
Indonesia, an archipelago made up of around 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries to travel between islands, with sea routes more affordable and readily available than air travel.
However, safety standards are not always strictly enforced, which results in a relatively high accident rate.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
