Basarnas Asserts Ship Owners Must Remove Wreckage of Virgo Transport 8
Basarnas has asserted that ship owners have an obligation to move or lift the wreckage of the Virgo Transport 8, which was involved in an accident, if its presence interferes with active maritime activities or shipping lanes. This provision is based on the Shipping Law.
The Head of Basarnas, Mohammad Syafii, stated that this regulation serves as the basis for the government to involve the owners of KM Virgo Transport 8 in the handling process of the wreckage, which has been located in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea, since Sunday, 13 September 202cap.
“Basarnas, along with departments under the Ministry of Transportation, is coordinating and involving the owners to carry out the removal of the capsized KM Virgo,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday night, 16 September 2026.
According to the Shipping Law, Syafii noted that ship owners have a maximum of 180 days to move or lift the wreckage. However, he stated that the government does not wish to wait until that deadline, as the search for victims is still ongoing.
“Why should it be carried out before the 180-day limit? Because we want to immediately find and evaluate the victims, we will take this action at the first opportunity in accordance with the provisions of the Shipping Law,” he added.
He further explained that the removal of the wreckage is not within the sole authority of Basarnas; therefore, the government is involving the ship owners and a team of experts with the necessary capabilities to handle the removal process to support the search and rescue operations.
“This collaboration is the result of an evaluation of the SAR operation to utilise all available elements, including the ship owners, so that the removal of the KM Virgo Transport 8 wreckage can support efforts to find victims who are suspected to still be inside the ship,” said Syafii.
For information, the Virgo Transport 8 lost contact on Sunday, 13 September 2026. The vessel was reported to have tilted before eventually capsizing in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea.
Of the 243 passengers on board, 114 victims have been found. According to Basarnas data, of those 114, 108 individuals survived and six have died. Meanwhile, as of now, 129 people remain missing.