Indonesian province, eastern Java, capital Surabaya
Indonesia has faced a spike in wildfires driven by a strong El Niño and dry conditions; fires have burned more than 107,000 hectares and pushed flames within metres of the Yiari orangutan rehabilitation centre in West Kalimantan. Authorities are using cloud-seeding aircraft, water-bombing and local teams to fight blazes as haze reaches neighbouring Malaysian Borneo.
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 roll-on/roll-off ferry, Virgo Transport 8, has capsized in the Java Sea while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. Rescuers have recovered 108 survivors and at least nine bodies; more than 120 passengers and crew remain missing. Salvage teams and specialist divers are preparing to right the vessel to allow safer recovery amid strong currents and rough seas.
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.
Wildfires across Kalimantan, Sumatra and Borneo have intensified amid El Niño-driven drought. Firefighting efforts face delays, with residents and wildlife suffering as haze drifts to neighboring countries. Legal actions pursue accountability and regional cooperation intensifies.
Singapore and Indonesia are expanding cross-border efforts to curb forest and peatland fires driving Southeast Asia’s worst haze in years. Governments are forming enforcement task forces while protests, health warnings, and school closures intensify across seven provinces.