Day 20 of KM Virgo SAR Operation: 80 Dead, 55 Still Missing

The death toll from the sinking of KM Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea has reached 80 people, while 55 other passengers remain missing.

This figure represents the accumulated total of the SAR operation, which entered its 20th day on Friday (2/10). Arianto, the Head of Operations for Basarnas Banjarmasin, stated that SAR teams are continuing their search for the victims, conducting sweeps around the coast of Central Kalimantan as well as across the sea.

“There are 55 victims still being searched for, while 80 have been found deceased,” said Arianto, as reported by detikKalimantan on Saturday (3/10/2026).

He explained that diving teams are currently stationed in Banjarmasin for the recovery process. As the search enters its 20th day, Arianto could not yet confirm whether the search process will be extended into the 21st day.

He ensured that the search process will continue to maximise the operation’s effectiveness. He noted that field teams are maintaining constant coordination to ensure the ongoing search efforts are properly managed.

“The divers are currently positioned in Banjarmasin for recovery, while we await the evaluation results from the diving team,” he added.

Since the capsizing of KM Virgo Transport 8 on Sunday (13/9), the search process has continued into its 20th day. The total number of victims successfully evacuated is 188, comprising 108 survivors, 80 deceased, and 55 still missing.