Virgo Transport 8 Captain Arrested for Java Sea Sinking

Indonesian police arrested the captain of the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 on October 1, charging him with knowingly sailing an unseaworthy vessel. The charge carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison when deaths result.

The 4,277-tonne ferry sank on September 13 in the Java Sea while traveling from Surabaya, East Java to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. It had 243 people and 89 vehicles aboard. At least 78 people were confirmed dead; 57 remain missing. Rescue teams recovered 108 survivors.

Bad weather contributed to the capsize. Salvage teams attempting to reach the wreck faced leaking fuel, dense gases, and unstable debris inside the hull, with the ferry continuing to shift on the seabed.

Indonesian maritime authorities have been active on multiple fronts. In September, Indonesian authorities pursued criminal charges against a Chinese diver who hunted protected turtles in the Raja Ampat marine reserve, another case of maritime law enforcement under the country's shipping statutes.