Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

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About 130 passengers and crew members are missing after a ferry carrying more than 240 people sank in rough seas in Indonesia's Java Sea, rescuers said.

At least 107 people have been rescued, while the bodies of six passengers have been recovered as search and rescue teams expanded operations around the vessel's last known position.

The ferry was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it ran into severe weather, officials said.

I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office, said the ferry's captain had reported rough seas and waves reaching up to three metres before sending a distress message.

The captain reported that the vessel was listing, after which authorities received information indicating that the ferry had overturned and subsequently sank.

Rescuers have been searching the waters around the ferry's last known location for survivors and victims as the operation continues.

The incident has raised fears of a major maritime disaster, with the number of people still missing making the ongoing search particularly urgent.