103 People Evacuated from KM Virgo Transport 8, One Confirmed Dead

A joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team has successfully evacuated 103 passengers from the vessel Virgo Transport 8, which was previously reported to have lost contact in the Java Sea waters. Of those rescued, one person was found dead.

The Head of the Banjarmasin Class A Search and Rescue Office and SAR Mission Coordinator, I Putu Sudayana, explained that the evacuation process was carried out using three ships deployed in the search operation for the Virgo Transport 8.

“A total of 103 passengers had been successfully evacuated as of 12:00 WITA,” said I Putu Sudayana during a press conference regarding the progress of the SAR operation for the Virgo Transport 8 in Banjarmasin on Sunday (13/9).

According to I Putu Sudayana, 16 people evacuated via the TB Mauhaw IX will be taken to Tuban Port, based on coordination with the ship’s captain. Meanwhile, passengers evacuated by TB TCP and MV Haida will be directed to Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, for further handling.

The search and handling process for the passengers of the Virgo Transport 8 is still ongoing, involving several joint SAR elements at mapped coordinates. The fleet deployed in this large-scale operation includes TB Mauhaw IX, TB TCP, MV Hahenda, KN SAR Laksamana, KRI Nala, and KM Kunyit.

The joint team is conducting intensive sweeping to search for and manage the passengers of the Virgo Transport 8 who were previously lost contact in the Java Sea. The vessel was reportedly en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.

Based on manifest data, the ship was carrying a total of 243 people when it lost contact on Saturday (12/9). With the latest developments, 103 of the 243 passengers have been evacuated, while SAR operations continue to search for the remaining 140 passengers who have yet to be found.

The passenger Ro-Ro vessel KM Virgo Transport 8 experienced listing and lost contact in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea, on Sunday (13/9) at approximately 02:00 local time. KN SAR 249 Permadi and Helicopter HR-3601 from the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office were dispatched to search for victims of the capsizing KM Virgo Transport 8.

Families of the passengers of the Virgo Transport 8 gathered at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, on Sunday (13/9), to await the latest updates regarding the search for the vessel.