The death toll from the ferry disaster in Indonesia’s Java Sea has risen to 28, while 107 people remain missing, according to the country’s search and rescue authorities.

The passenger ferry departed from Surabaya in East Java for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan on September 12. The vessel encountered severe weather during the voyage, and contact with it was lost at around 2:00 a.m. local time on September 13.

Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), said rescue teams had so far recovered 136 people from the sea.

“Of those, 108 were rescued alive, while 28 were found dead. Search operations are continuing for 107 people who remain missing,” Syafii said.

Search and rescue operations involving ships, helicopters and rescue personnel have continued in challenging weather conditions as authorities race to locate the missing.

Indonesia, an archipelago of around 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries and other forms of maritime transport to connect its islands. Maritime accidents are relatively common due to adverse weather, overcrowding and varying safety standards.(ILKHA)