Indonesian province on Java’s eastern end, Surabaya’s home base
A ferry fire off Madura Island has left dozens missing as rescue teams work to evacuate passengers. Initial figures varied, with official counts evolving as authorities confirm rescues and fatalities; background on the ship and route is provided.
Wildfires across Indonesia have intensified amid a dry El Niño season. The largest blaze, in Mount Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, has scorched hundreds of hectares of land, prompting park closure and air-ground firefighting operations. Authorities warn the fire season will remain severe through August and September.
Indonesia is battling widespread wildfires that have scorched tens of thousands of hectares, forcing school closures and online learning in affected provinces. Authorities are deploying cloud-seeding aircraft and firefighting efforts across six provinces with more than 107,000 hectares burned this year. The country faces a harsher dry season linked to El Niño.
Rescuers have saved hundreds as a ferry carrying passengers, vehicles, and motorcycles burns off Lombok. Authorities report rough seas and a spreading blaze; the situation remains fluid with ongoing efforts to account for all aboard.
Since early 2026 wildfires have scorched hundreds of thousands of hectares across Indonesia, concentrating on Borneo (Kalimantan). A powerful El Niño and prolonged dry conditions have driven deep-burning peat and forest blazes that have sent hazardous haze into Malaysian Borneo and Singapore, closed schools and prompted arrests and troop, helicopter and cloud‑seeding deployments.
Outbreaks linked to the MBG free meals programme have sickened about 1,950 students and staff across East Java, Central Java, West Sumatra, Aceh and South Sulawesi. No deaths reported. Health authorities are tightening oversight and investigating hundreds of kitchens amid ongoing programme rollout.
A passenger ferry, the Virgo Transport 8, has lost contact on its route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. Rescue teams have recovered 107 survivors and six bodies so far; search efforts are ongoing for the remaining people from a manifest listing about 243 on board. Authorities have deployed ships and a helicopter to the vessel's last known position.
A search for the Virgo Transport 8 remains active as authorities extend the operation for seven days. 108 survivors have been rescued, with 83 still missing. Divers are entering wreckage amid challenging conditions; the salvage plan is under discussion as weather and currents complicate recovery.
The Virgo Transport 8 has capsized in rough Java Sea conditions after sending a distress call. Authorities have confirmed several deaths and a large number of missing, with search efforts spanning multiple ships, aircraft and underwater teams.