Basarnas Deploys 12 Additional Divers to Search for KM Virgo 8 Victims
Basarnas has deployed 1cap 12 additional divers to increase strength in the search process for the victims of KM Virgo Transport 8, which capsized in the Java Sea waters.
The Director of Operations at Basarnas, Rear Admiral TNI Yudhi Bramantyo, stated that the divers were dispatched to Banjarmasin on Saturday (19/9).
“There is one team from the Basarnas Special Group, as well as one team from Jaya Dragon. Everyone has gathered on one ship. There are approximately 12 people,” Yudhi said during a press conference on Saturday night.
He noted that this reinforcement is being carried out to maximise the underwater search process, which had previously been conducted by divers from the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL).
Yudhi added that his agency will continue to maximise the search for victims while awaiting the commencement of salvage operations.
“Our hope is to strengthen what was previously carried out by our colleagues from the Navy. While we wait for the decision on what the salvage team will do, we are striving to conduct underwater searches,” he said.
Previously, Basarnas extended the search and rescue (SAR) operation for the 126 victims of KM Virgo 8 who remain missing. The extension was announced on the seventh day of the operation, Saturday (19/9) night.
Yudhi stated that the decision was made after coordinating with SAR operation stakeholders and the salvage team coordinated by the ship’s owner.
“Today marks the seventh day. We have declared that we will extend this operation for the next seven days,” Yudhi said during the press conference.
As of Saturday night at 21:00 WITA, Basarnas confirmed that 117 victims had been found, consisting of 108 survivors and nine fatalities.
There are still 126 people missing from the total of 243 individuals listed on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest. On the seventh day, the joint team did not find any new victims.
KM Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people when it set sail from Surabaya, East Java, towards Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on 12 September 2026.
The vessel was reported to have encountered bad weather and lost contact on 13 September 2026 at approximately 02:00 WITA. The ship was found on the same day in a capsized condition in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea.