Basarnas Confirms Maximum Deployment of All SAR Elements for KM Virgo Operation
Banjarmasin (ANTARA) - Basarnas has confirmed that it has maximally deployed all elements of the joint search and rescue (SAR) team in the operation for the 243 victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident in the Java Sea. The operation, which has now lasted 21 days, involves land, sea, and air assets.
“The operation has involved all national SAR potential, including Basarnas, the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces), Polri (National Police), ministries/agencies, the private sector, and many other SAR contributors,” said the Head of Basarnas, Mohammad Syafii, during a press conference regarding the progress of the SAR operation on day 21 of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Saturday night.
He stated that the deployment of joint SAR elements includes seven aircraft, 24 large ships, and 63 divers possessing specialised skills to conduct sub-surface SAR during the search operation.
“The number of personnel involved has exceeded 1,200 joint personnel from the time of the accident until now,” he said.
Furthermore, Syafii noted that the search is being conducted using multiple approaches, ranging from aerial and sea surface and coastal searches to sub-surface searches via diving.
According to him, the search area has become very extensive, covering the provinces of South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan, based on the progress of the ongoing search operations.
He mentioned that the operation has evolved from a search initially focused around the accident site to a wider-reaching search based on victim discoveries and situational developments.
“The search now covers a wider area based on the discovery of victims and situational developments across South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan,” said Syafii.
Since the first day of the SAR operation following the KM Virgo accident on Sunday (13/9), Basarnas has extended the operation twice, with each extension lasting seven days, reaching day 21 on Saturday.
Based on considerations following an evaluation on the 21st day, Basarnas has decided to continue the SAR operation with flexible timing according to field developments and personnel availability, while maintaining the involvement of the agencies that have been part of the operation since its inception.
As of the 21st day of the SAR operation, Saturday at 22:00 WITA, Basarnas confirmed that 188 people have been found, consisting of 108 survivors and 80 deceased. Meanwhile, 55 other victims remain in the search process out of the total 243 individuals listed on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest.