Dramatic: Basarnas BSG Divers Break Glass of KM Virgo Transport 8 to Search for Victims

The Basarnas Special Group (BSG) diving team has undertaken efforts to evacuate victims still trapped inside the KM Virgo Transport 8. During the underwater operation, divers managed to break the ship’s glass to create access to the interior.

In footage obtained, BSG divers can be seen positioned against the side of the ship’s hull beneath the sea surface. The divers then proceeded to break the ship’s glass using specialised equipment.

Once the glass was breached, an entry point to the interior of the vessel was established. The divers subsequently attempted to enter through this opening to conduct searches and evacuate victims believed to still be inside the ship.

The divers were also seen evacuating victims as part of the ongoing search for those missing from the KM Virgo Transport 8. The search team had previously deployed divers to sweep the interior of the vessel, which met with an accident in the Java Sea, while carefully considering the ship’s condition and the safety of the divers.

The search operation for the victims of KM Virgo Transport 8 continues through a joint SAR team. In addition to the Basarnas BSG divers, the search process involves relevant agencies supported by SAR vessels.

To date, the SAR team is still working to locate victims whose whereabouts remain unknown following the accident involving the KM Virgo Transport 8 during its voyage to Banjarmasin.

A total of 118 people have been found so far; of this number, 108 have been declared safe and 10 have been confirmed dead. However, 125 people remain missing from the total of 243 individuals recorded on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest since it departed from Surabaya, East Java, bound for Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on 12 September 2026.