A devastating ferry accident in Indonesia has left at least 6 people dead. More than 100 others remain missing after the vessel overturned in rough seas on Sunday.

The ferry, Virgo Transport 8, was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. The captain reported rough seas before sending a distress call.

The waves reportedly reached up to three meters. The captain said the vessel was listing before authorities lost contact with the ferry.

The ferry’s manifest listed 243 people on board. This included 213 passengers and 30 crew members. The vessel was also carrying 89 vehicles.

However, officials said the actual number of people aboard may differ from the manifest.

By Sunday afternoon, rescue teams had saved more than 100 people. They also recovered 6 bodies from the area.

The search continued around the ferry’s last known position. The location was about 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin.

Authorities deployed more than a dozen vessels to assist with the operation. The group included four navy ships. Two helicopters also supported the search.

Nearby tugboats and other passing vessels helped rescue teams find survivors.

Indonesia’s Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ferry was floating upside down. He said the vessel had not sunk.

Rescue teams focused their efforts around the overturned ferry. Videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed the vessel floating in choppy waters.

Other footage showed exhausted survivors arriving at a port in Banjarmasin. Some injured passengers were carried on stretchers and taken to nearby hospitals.

Families Await News

Meanwhile, hundreds of relatives gathered at Trisakti port. They checked passenger lists and rescue information while waiting for news about their loved ones.

The devastating accident comes just days after a ferry fire in the Philippines. That incident killed at least 76 people, while at least 10 others remained missing.

The 119-metre ferry was built in Japan in 1987. It operated there until last year before being sold to its current Indonesian operator, PT Virgo Karya Shipping.

Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands. Ferries are therefore a common form of transportation across the country.