One dead, 140 missing as passenger ship hits bad weather - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

An Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people has gone dark after encountering bad weather in the Java Sea. (AFP)

One person has died and 102 others have been evacuated from an Indonesian passenger ship that went missing after encountering bad weather. 

The ship, carrying 243 people, had departed from Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city in East Java province, and was bound for Banjarmasin.

A search for the remaining passengers is ongoing.

One person has died and 140 people are still missing from a passenger ship that was reported missing in the Java Sea after it encountered bad weather travelling from East Java to South Kalimantan province. 

The Indonesian passenger ship carrying 243 people was reported missing after losing contact early on Sunday.

The Search and Rescue Office in the city of Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, which is located on Borneo island, said it received a report two hours after communication was lost with the Virgo Transport 8 at about 2am on Sunday.

Putu Sudayana, who heads the Search and Rescue Office, said the ship had departed from Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city in East Java province, and was bound for Banjarmasin.

Mr Sudayana said 103 people had been evacuated using different ships and some of them would be taken to an East Java port.

Rescuers launched a search, deploying a team, ships and a helicopter toward the passenger vessel's last known position, he said, without stating what happened to the ship.

Initial information indicated the vessel's last known position was in the Java Sea, about 148 kilometres from Banjarmasin.

It is understood the vessel's operator reported the loss of contact and confirmed the ship departed Surabaya on Saturday at 10:13am local time.

In response, a rescue team was dispatched to Banjarmasin and a rescue ship was sent to the Virgo Transport 8's estimated last known position.

Mr Sudayana, who is coordinating the search, said authorities were mobilising all available personnel and coordinating with maritime authorities and other relevant agencies in the search.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries as a key mode of transportation, with sea routes ⁠more ​affordable and readily available than air travel.

However, ​safety standards are not always rigorously enforced, resulting in a relatively high accident rate.