Last weekend, a passenger ferry carrying over 200 people ran into trouble in the Java Sea. The ship had set sail from Surabaya in East Java and was heading for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it lost contact with the shore. According to local media, the crew sent out a distress message before the incident, reporting waves as high as three meters and a dire situation. The boat capsized shortly after the mayday call.
So far, search and rescue teams have pulled more than 100 people from the water and recovered one body. However, over 140 people are still unaccounted for. Local rescue teams are widening their search across the accident zone, and neighboring Malaysia is also closely monitoring updates on the situation.
Sitting at a teashop in Phnom Penh sipping iced tea and reading the news, it really hits home how tough life at sea can be. When rough weather hits like this, the wind and waves turn on a dime, and everyone on board is just praying for help to arrive fast so more lives can be saved.
