Banjarmasin, CNBC Indonesia - The Indonesian Minister of\nTransportation, Dudy Purwagende, has provided the latest update on the\nhandling of the KMP Virgo Transport 8 accident, which occurred in the\nJava Sea near Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. The vessel was carrying a\ntotal of 243 passengers at the time of the incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the government, I express my deepest condolences for\nthe maritime accident involving KMP Virgo Transport 8,\u201d said Dudy during\na press conference on Sunday (13\/09\/2026).<\/p>\n
As of this afternoon, the joint SAR team led by Basarnas has\nsuccessfully evacuated 107 passengers in safe condition, while 6\nfatalities have been confirmed. Consequently, approximately 136\npassengers remain in the process of being searched for.<\/p>\n
Dudy revealed that his office received reports of the accident at\n03:30, and since then, immediate coordination has been established with\nBasarnas and all relevant agencies to conduct search, rescue, and\nevacuation processes. He noted that search operations are ongoing, with\nall available resources being deployed.<\/p>\n
The Minister of Transportation expressed his appreciation to Basarnas\nas the coordinator of the SAR operation, as well as the TNI (Indonesian\nNational Armed Forces), Polri (National Police), the South Kalimantan\nProvincial Government, Pelindo, healthcare services, and the ship\noperator, all of whom have been recognised for their rapid and tireless\nwork in this humanitarian operation.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Transportation is also operating an integrated\ncommand post at the Trisakti Passenger Port Terminal, Pelindo\nBanjarmasin, which serves as the coordination centre for victim\nhandling, public services, data collection, and the dissemination of\nofficial information to the public.<\/p>\n
Regarding the cause of the accident, Dudy ensured that the government\nwill conduct a thorough investigation through the National\nTransportation Safety Committee (KNKT) within its authority. He\nrequested that all parties allow the KNKT to work professionally,\nindependently, and based on data and facts, so that the investigation\nresults can serve as a basis for improving maritime safety in the\nfuture.<\/p>\n
Dudy reiterated his profound condolences to the families of all\nvictims and emphasised that the government will continue to oversee the\nhandling of this disaster alongside all stakeholders until all stages of\nthe process are completed.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kmp-virgo-accident-update-107-safe-6-dead-and-136-still-missing-1789307690", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }