Indonesia arrests captain of capsized ferry, police say

JAKARTA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - ‌An Indonesian police ​spokesperson ​said on Thursday that the captain of a ship that capsized in the Java ‌Sea last month has been arrested and will ⁠face criminal charges for his role in an accident that killed ‌at least 78 people.

• ‌The Virgo Transport 8 ferry was carrying 243 people when it capsized in bad weather in the ​Java Sea on September 13 during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South ⁠Kalimantan. Authorities said 108 people survived.

• Divers have been circling the ship, ​battling against fast sea currents and the ship's unstable structure, to search for those missing ​on deck.

• National police spokesperson ‌Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said that the ship's captain has been arrested and named a criminal ⁠suspect.

• Senior police official Kukuh Prabowo was quoted by state news agency Antara as saying on Wednesday that the captain was ⁠suspected of violating Indonesia's shipping law by knowingly sailing an unseaworthy ​vessel, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison when it causes deaths and property damage.

• Neither Wisnu nor ‌Kukuh provided any details of the alleged crimes.

• The current death toll from ‌the incident is 78 people, while 57 people remain ⁠missing, Indonesia's search and ‌rescue agency said late ​on Wednesday. The search is ongoing.

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto and Ananda Teresia; Editing by David ‌Stanway)

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