Basarnas focuses 12 elite divers on KM Virgo underwater operation

Banjarmasin (ANTARA) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is focusing 12 of its best divers to continue the search for victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident who remain missing in the Java Sea, as underwater operations enter their eighth day on Sunday (20/09).

Basarnas Operations Director, Rear Admiral TNI Yudhi Bramantyo Nur Sasongko, stated that the 12 divers are part of a joint force selected from all elements of the SAR team following a team adjustment and refreshment process. Consequently, these 12 divers do not represent the total number of divers involved in the overall SAR operation.

“The divers prepared to continue the underwater operation possess experience in handling several accidents, such as the SAR operations for the Lion Air and Sriwijaya Air plane crashes several years ago,” he said at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, on Saturday night.

He explained that the team refreshment was not due to a shortage of personnel, but because several vessel elements that previously supported the diving operation had to return to base for personnel rotation and to carry out other duties.

He noted that the reduction in divers included personnel from KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai, and KRI Pulau Fani is also returning to its homebase. A replacement vessel will be brought in from KRI Nala, which is scheduled to arrive tomorrow on the eighth day of the SAR operation.

Basarnas has deployed the TB Jaya Dragon, which will operate alongside the 12 elite divers to strengthen the underwater operations previously conducted by 20 Indonesian Navy divers, while awaiting a decision regarding the salvage team’s next steps for the ship’s hull.

“The hope is that the available personnel will reinforce what was previously carried out by the Navy divers yesterday. We are also awaiting a decision on what the salvage team will do regarding the wreckage. Naturally, we are striving to carry out the underwater search,” he added.