Amnesty questions three-hour delay before KMP Virgo called for help
Amnesty International Indonesia has urged an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the sinking of KMP Virgo Transport 8 in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea, to uncover the cause of the accident and any possible negligence.
In an official statement received in Makassar on Tuesday, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia Usman Hamid said an investigation is needed to transparently establish the cause of the sinking, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday (13 September).
“We urge an immediate, independent, impartial and thorough investigation into this tragedy to explain transparently why KMP Virgo sank,” he said.
According to Usman, the investigation is also important to determine whether there was negligence on the part of any of the parties involved, including the transport safety regulator and the company or body that owns the sea transport operator. If negligence is found, he said, the findings must identify who bears responsibility.
Amnesty also highlighted information about a gap of roughly three hours between the ship being reported to have encountered bad weather and the request for assistance to the SAR team. According to Amnesty, KMP Virgo Transport 8 was reported to have faced bad weather at around 01.00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB), while the request for help to the Banjarmasin SAR Office was only made at around 04.10 WIB.
“Why did the GM of Virgo Transport 8 only request assistance from SAR Banjarmasin after three hours? There must be a public explanation for this,” said Usman.
Amnesty asked that information about this time gap be among the matters examined in the investigation. Accounts from survivors regarding the availability and use of life jackets during the accident also need to be followed up by the authorities.
“We strongly encourage the investigation process to ensure that KMP Virgo Transport had in place and implemented mitigation and emergency standards in accordance with applicable regulations,” said Usman.
He said the victims and their families have the right to redress, a thorough inquiry and accountability if negligence is found on the part of the ship’s operator, the port authority or the government as regulator.
Amnesty also reminded of the importance of due diligence in the application of safety standards and procedures for sea transport to prevent similar accidents.
KMP Virgo Transport 8, which serves the Surabaya-Banjarmasin route, capsized in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea in the early hours of Sunday (13 September) while carrying 243 people.
As of Tuesday morning, 114 people had been found, comprising 108 survivors and six dead, while 129 others were still missing.
On the third day of the SAR operation, Basarnas expanded the search area from around 2,600 nautical miles to 4,600 nautical miles in the Masalembo waters.
The Minister of Transport previously stated that KMP Virgo Transport 8 has a capacity of around 500 people, meaning the vessel carrying 243 people was not overloaded.
“We must wait for the official findings on the factors behind the incident or accident — weather factors, technical factors, or whatever it may be — after receiving the complete explanation from the investigation,” said AHY in Jakarta on Monday (14 September).