Basarnas: 188 Victims of KM Virgo Successfully Evacuated by Day 21

Banjarmasin (ANTARA) - Basarnas has announced that 188 victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident have been successfully evacuated by the joint team up to the 21st day of the search and rescue (SAR) operation, as of Saturday (3/10). The figure consists of 108 survivors and 80 deceased individuals, while 55 other victims remain missing.

“There are still 55 victims yet to be found out of a total of 243 people on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest,” said the Head of Basarnas, Mohammad Syafii, during a press conference regarding the progress of the SAR operation on the 21st day of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Saturday night.

Following an evaluation, he stated that the operation is now being directed towards specific locations, potential drift paths, surface areas, and coastal regions where victims might potentially be found.

“The focus of the operation at this time is no longer on the number of forces deployed, but on how to conduct a reassessment regarding the 55 victims still being searched for,” he said.

He noted that the initial site of the incident in the Java Sea on Sunday (13/9) was located at coordinates 4°31’ South Latitude and 114°2’ East Longitude, or approximately 81 nautical miles from Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

“Current developments show that the operation has entered an increasingly complex stage as the search area expands and search methods must be adjusted to the conditions of the teams on the ground,” said Syafii.