PT Virgo Karya Shipping, the operator and owner of the Motor Vessel\n(KM) Virgo Transport 8, which capsized in the Java Sea, has firmly\ndenied rumours regarding the condition of their vessel being too old and\nunseaworthy.<\/p>\n
The General Manager of PT Virgo Karya Shipping, Yoel Rihi, claimed\nthat the ship operates in accordance with statutory standards and\nunderwent a thorough maintenance process (docking) at the beginning of\nthis year.<\/p>\n
He clarified public speculation linking the incident to the age of\nthe vessel, using an analogy to explain that the seaworthiness of a ship\ncannot be compared to the life cycle of a living organism. \u201cI want to\nclarify this. We should not treat this ship like a human or an organic\nobject, where older means worse. A ship is a machine. Machines can be\nrebuilt, tuned up, or even replaced. Even thin hull plates can be\ndoubled,\u201d said Yoel when met at the PT Virgo Karya Shipping office in\nSurabaya on Monday (14\/9).<\/p>\n
According to Yoel, the company adheres to strict regulations that\ndistinguish between a vessel\u2019s calendar age and its technical condition.\nHe guaranteed that PT Virgo Karya Shipping would not take the risk of\ndeploying a fleet that does not meet maritime safety qualifications. \u201cWe\nwould not dare to sail a ship that does not comply with the law.\nCertainly, many adjustments need to be made. We have done that, it is up\nto standard, so we feel confident deciding that the ship is ready to\nsail,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
As evidence of physical and administrative seaworthiness, Yoel\nrevealed that KM Virgo 8 possesses active and legal sailing documents.\nAll administrative requirements, such as the Sailing Approval Letter\n(SPB) and vessel seaworthiness certificates, were ensured to be complete\nbefore the fleet departed.<\/p>\n
Dismissing doubts regarding routine maintenance, the management also\ndisclosed the fleet\u2019s maintenance track record. The vessel was recorded\nas having recently completed a full docking process in February this\nyear.<\/p>\n
KM Virgo Transport 8 is a Roll-on\/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel. The ship\nhas a long history of nearly four decades at sea before losing contact\nwhile carrying 243 passengers in the Java Sea waters on Sunday\n(13\/9).<\/p>\n
Based on data from vessel tracking sites, KM Virgo Transport 8 is not\na new vessel. The ship, identified by IMO number 8625179, was first\nproduced in 1987 by the Shin Kurushima Onishi Shipyard in Japan, meaning\nthe vessel is 39 years old.<\/p>\n
KM Virgo 8 was previously named Ferry Kurushima. It has a length of\n119 metres and a gross tonnage (GT) of 4,277.<\/p>\n
The ship spent most of its service life in Japan. From 1987 until\nmid-2025, it routinely served passenger and vehicle routes from Kokura\nto Matsuyama.<\/p>\n
The domestic shipping company, PT Virgo Karya Shipping, took over\nownership of the vessel during the transition period between 2025 and\n2026.<\/p>\n
After undergoing the process of re-registration as an\nIndonesian-flagged vessel, its name was officially changed to KM Virgo\nTransport 8. The vessel was subsequently deployed commercially to serve\nthe route from Tanjung Perak Port (Surabaya) to Trisakti Port\n(Banjarmasin) starting in July 2026.<\/p>\n
Ironically, after only about two months of operating on that route,\nthe vessel met its tragic fate in the early hours of Sunday (13\/9).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/km-virgo-8-capsizes-in-java-sea-owner-denies-vessel-unseaworthiness-1789376468", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }