Basarnas: Ship Owners Held Responsible for Removing Shipwrecks

Banjarmasin (ANTARA) - Basarnas has asserted that ship owners are mandatory responsible for moving or lifting shipwrecks resulting from accidents that obstruct shipping lanes or active navigation routes, in accordance with the provisions of the Shipping Act.

Basarnas Head Mohammad Syafii stated that this regulation serves as the basis for the government’s involvement of the owner in the tragedy of the KM Virgo Transport 8, which has been involved in an accident in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea, since Sunday (13/09).

“Basarnas, along with departments under the Ministry of Transportation, is coordinating and involving the owner to carry out the removal of the capsized KM Virgo,” he said during a press conference regarding the progress of the SAR operation on the fourth day of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Wednesday night.

He noted that the incident involves the KM Virgo Transport 8, which was carrying 243 people while sailing from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin since 12 September 2026. The vessel was reported to have encountered bad weather and lost contact before being found capsized in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea, on 13 September 2026, at 02:00 WITA.

“Why must this be carried out for up to 180 days? Because when we want to immediately find and evaluate victims, this action, in accordance with the provisions of the Shipping Act, will be undertaken at the first opportunity,” he explained.

According to him, the removal of shipwrecks is not within the sole authority of Basarnas; therefore, the government is involving the ship owners and expert teams with the necessary capabilities to handle the removal process to support search and evacuation operations for victims.

“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 still suspected to be inside the ship,” said Syafii.

As of Wednesday (16/09) at 22:00 WITA, Basarnas confirmed that 114 victims have been found, consisting of 108 survivors and six fatalities. To date, 129 people remain missing from the total of 243 individuals listed on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest.