Rescuers in Indonesia said at least six people were killed and 129 others were missing after a ferry capsized in rough seas on Sunday, with one survivor recounting scenes of panic as passengers scrambled for life jackets.

The Virgo Transport 8 -- which authorities said carried 213 passengers and 30 crew -- lost contact with its shipping company early Sunday after departing from Surabaya in East Java.

Basarnas, Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, said six people were killed and 129 others were missing. 

Another 108 people were rescued.

"People were panicking. Some climbed onto tables, some were pushing each other," survivor Rinto Arahap, 33, told AFP.

He said many passengers were asleep when the vessel began listing at around 2:00 am on Sunday (1800 GMT Saturday), adding that he heard what sounded like metal breaking about five hours into the journey.

With waves more than two metres (6.6 feet) high, people began shouting and fighting for life jackets as the vessel tilted, Arahap said.

"There was no warning from the ship's crew. Basically, it was just someone taking the initiative, shouting, 'Oh, the ship is listing, listing, listing,'" he said from a stretcher at a health facility in Banjarmasin, where survivors were taken.

'Didn't save anything'

The first rescue ship carrying survivors arrived before nightfall at a pier in Banjarmasin, on the southern coast of Borneo island, an AFP reporter saw.

Some of the survivors were carried on stretchers into waiting ambulances. Others were put into wheelchairs or needed help walking.

Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the ship had capsized.

Local search and rescue chief I Putu Sudayana earlier told AFP that the ship's captain had reported to its owners before losing contact that the vessel was "tilting".

Rescuers battled waves of up to 2.5 metres to reach the ferry, Sudayana told reporters.

Two helicopters were involved in the search, as well as other vessels from the navy, police, the rescue agency and the ferry company.

The vessel's last position had been detected in the Java Sea, around 150 kilometres (93 miles) from its destination.

Heri Purwanto, head of the Banjarmasin Sea Port Authority, said the ship, which was also carrying vehicles, lost contact at 2:00 am on Sunday.

"We responded quickly to the incident report," he said.

Arahap told AFP he grabbed a life jacket before the ship overturned, saying he and others were adrift for about four hours before they were rescued.

"I didn't save anything, just myself," said Arahap, who was travelling to Samarinda in East Kalimantan to start work on a palm oil plantation.

My wallet, everything... was lost. Things like my school diploma were gone. All my clothes were swept away."

'Very shocked'

Rescue authorities have established a command centre at the Banjarmasin port, with paramedics and ambulances on standby, an AFP reporter saw.

Dozens of relatives and friends of the passengers checked a whiteboard where the names of people rescued were being updated.

Jenah, 26, told AFP she came to the command post for information about her older brother.

"I am saddened and very shocked. Until now, I haven't received any more information," said Jenah, who like many Indonesians has only one name.

"He was travelling alone. I hope he survives. I couldn't contact him since last night." 

Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on boat connections for daily transport and tourism. 

Lax safety standards and unpredictable weather are the main reasons for the disasters.

On Monday, a speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists working for local and international news agencies, went missing near a volcano, Mount Anak Krakatau, in Banten province. That search is ongoing.