I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Class A Search and Rescue\nOffice and the SAR Mission Coordinator, explained that the ROV is being\nused to navigate the vessel\u2019s passageways, with the resulting images\nserving as a guide for divers conducting the search.<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing the ROV survey, divers proceeded based on the ROV\u2019s\nfindings. The ROV navigated the ship\u2019s corridors,\u201d he said during a\npress conference on the search and rescue operation at Trisakti Port,\nBanjarmasin, on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Sudayana said the ROV\u2019s initial deployment was not fully effective\ndue to strong underwater currents, forcing the team to retrieve the\nequipment. Diving operations were also hampered by currents that\nintensified to around three knots, posing significant risks to\ndivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce we had the ROV imagery, and during a lull in the currents\nearlier this afternoon, the Basarnas Special Group (BSG) dive team\nseized the opportunity to conduct a dive. Time was limited, so only one\nvictim was located and recovered, having already died,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The agency plans to deploy the ROV earlier on the ninth day of the\noperation, Monday (September 21), hoping for improved weather conditions\nthat will allow divers to continue the search for victims inside the\nwreckage.<\/p>\n
On the eighth day of the SAR operation, Basarnas deployed various\nassets, including a helicopter, eight large vessels, and two small\nboats, to maximize the search for the remaining missing victims.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the salvage operation, including the raising of the\nvessel\u2019s hull, remains the responsibility of the company and its\ninsurance provider, Sudayana said.<\/p>\n
As of Sunday, monitoring showed that the shipwreck remained in the\nsame position. Weather conditions, strong underwater currents, and waves\ncontinued to hamper search and recovery efforts for victims of the Virgo\nTransport 8.<\/p>\n
To date, Basarnas has confirmed that 118 people have been located,\ncomprising 108 survivors and 10 fatalities. Meanwhile, 125 people remain\nmissing out of the 243 individuals listed on the ferry\u2019s manifest. Virgo\nTransport 8 was carrying 243 people from Surabaya, East Java, to\nBanjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on September 12, 2026.<\/p>\n
The vessel reportedly encountered adverse weather and lost contact\nthe following day before being found capsized in the waters off\nMasalembo in the Java Sea.<\/p>\n
Related news: Ministry to probe alleged import ineligibility of Virgo\n8 ferry<\/p>\n
Related news: Basarnas deploys 12 elite divers for KM Virgo\nunderwater search<\/p>\n
Related news: Virgo Transport 8 owner pledges support for ship\naccident victims<\/p>\n
Translator: Tumpal Andani, Resinta Sulistiyandari<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/basarnas-deploys-rov-technology-to-inspect-sunken-virgo-8-ferry-1789923045", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }