Banjarmasin (ANTARA) - Basarnas has revealed that the Motor Vessel\n(KM) Virgo Transport 8 was hit by waves of more than three metres during\nan accident in the Java Sea, based on statements from several surviving\npassengers collected during the SAR operation.<\/p>\n
The Head of Basarnas, Mohammad Syafii, stated that this information\nwas obtained after the SAR team received the first vessel carrying 69\nvictims the previous night.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was reported that it began with bad weather. This was confirmed\nby several passengers, stating that waves were able to enter the\ninterior of the KM Virgo Transport 8,\u201d Syafii said during a press\nconference regarding the progress of the SAR operation for the KM Virgo\nTransport 8 accident at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, on Monday.<\/p>\n
According to him, if waves reached the interior of the vessel, it\nindicates that the wave height at the time of the incident is estimated\nto be more than three metres.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know that if waves can enter, it means at that time they were\nindeed more than three metres. That is from the information obtained,\u201d\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Basarnas is also referring to weather information issued by the\nMeteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to understand the\nwater conditions around the accident site, with victim testimonies\nserving as additional information from the search and rescue\nresults.<\/p>\n
Syafii stated that the position of the accident was identified based\non coordinates obtained by the team, located approximately 80 nautical\nmiles from the Basarnas position during the press conference, making\nthis location data a vital part of the search and rescue support.<\/p>\n
However, Basarnas has not yet concluded that bad weather or high\nwaves were the definitive cause of the accident, as determining the\ncausative factors requires a technical investigation based on data and\nfacts collected from various sources.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Head of the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) has\nalso joined us to collect data and information, the results of which\nwill serve as material for the investigation,\u201d said Syafii.<\/p>\n
The KNKT has joined to gather information and data for investigative\npurposes, so the exact cause of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident is\nstill awaiting the results of the investigation conducted in accordance\nwith transport safety procedures.<\/p>\n
As of Monday (14\/9) at 15:30 WITA, Basarnas confirmed that 115\nvictims have been found, consisting of 109 survivors and six fatalities,\nmeaning 128 people out of a total of 243 remain missing.<\/p>\n
Of the 115 victims found, 86 have arrived at Trisakti Port,\nBanjarmasin, comprising 85 survivors and one fatality; one victim has\narrived at Syamsudin Noor Airbase, while another 28 victims are still in\nthe process of being evacuated from the accident site to Trisakti\nPort.<\/p>\n
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 passengers and was reported to\nhave lost contact in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea, on Sunday (13\/9) at\napproximately 02:00 WITA, while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin\nsince Saturday (12\/9).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/basarnas-reveals-km-virgo-hit-by-waves-over-3-metres-during-accident-1789376967", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }