An Indonesian police spokesperson said on Thursday 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.
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 said 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, according to a quote from state news agency Antara.
Neither of the Indonesian officials provided any details of the alleged crimes.
Indonesia's search and rescue agency stated that 57 people remain missing following the incident, while the total death toll currently sits at 78 people.
Meanwhile, divers continue to circle the ship, battling against fast sea currents and the ship's unstable structure, to search for those missing on deck.
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