Basarnas reveals KM Virgo hit by waves over 3 metres during accident
Banjarmasin (ANTARA) - Basarnas has revealed that the Motor Vessel (KM) Virgo Transport 8 was hit by waves of more than three metres during an accident in the Java Sea, based on statements from several surviving passengers collected during the SAR operation.
The Head of Basarnas, Mohammad Syafii, stated that this information was obtained after the SAR team received the first vessel carrying 69 victims the previous night.
“It was reported that it began with bad weather. This was confirmed by several passengers, stating that waves were able to enter the interior of the KM Virgo Transport 8,” Syafii said during a press conference regarding the progress of the SAR operation for the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, on Monday.
According to him, if waves reached the interior of the vessel, it indicates that the wave height at the time of the incident is estimated to be more than three metres.
“We all know that if waves can enter, it means at that time they were indeed more than three metres. That is from the information obtained,” he said.
Basarnas is also referring to weather information issued by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to understand the water conditions around the accident site, with victim testimonies serving as additional information from the search and rescue results.
Syafii stated that the position of the accident was identified based on coordinates obtained by the team, located approximately 80 nautical miles from the Basarnas position during the press conference, making this location data a vital part of the search and rescue support.
However, Basarnas has not yet concluded that bad weather or high waves were the definitive cause of the accident, as determining the causative factors requires a technical investigation based on data and facts collected from various sources.
“The Head of the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) has also joined us to collect data and information, the results of which will serve as material for the investigation,” said Syafii.
The KNKT has joined to gather information and data for investigative purposes, so the exact cause of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident is still awaiting the results of the investigation conducted in accordance with transport safety procedures.
As of Monday (14/9) at 15:30 WITA, Basarnas confirmed that 115 victims have been found, consisting of 109 survivors and six fatalities, meaning 128 people out of a total of 243 remain missing.
Of the 115 victims found, 86 have arrived at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, comprising 85 survivors and one fatality; one victim has arrived at Syamsudin Noor Airbase, while another 28 victims are still in the process of being evacuated from the accident site to Trisakti Port.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 passengers and was reported to have lost contact in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea, on Sunday (13/9) at approximately 02:00 WITA, while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin since Saturday (12/9).