KM Virgo Capsizes in the Java Sea, Brigjen Pol. Hastry Deploys Indonesia's DVI Team to Identify Victims
The motor vessel (KM) Virgo Transport 8 met with an accident in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea on Sunday (13/9/2026). As of the time of writing, six people have been confirmed dead. Meanwhile, 108 survivors have been successfully evacuated and are now berthed at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. Basarnas and the National Police medical team are continuing to search for the remaining 129 victims.
KM Virgo Transport 8 departed from Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya carrying 243 people on board, consisting of 30 crew members and 213 passengers.
Tragically, the vessel was struck by waves exceeding three metres while at coordinates of approximately 4°31’51.82”S 114°2’6.88”E in the Java Sea. The position is roughly 80 nautical miles from the Basirih SAR jetty in Banjarmasin.
Brigjen Sumy Hastry Purwanti, as Head of the Police Medical Bureau, expressed her condolences over the accident. She and her staff will continue to assist in the search for missing victims.
“The police will assist the search together with Indonesia’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team. DVI teams exist in every regional police command under the Medical Bureau, and for the capsizing of KM Virgo, all members are ready to contribute,” she told the media on Tuesday (15/9/2026).
Brigjen Hastry assured that the DVI team will cooperate with Basarnas and other relevant agencies on victim identification. “Our DVI colleagues in Surabaya and Banjarmasin have opened post-mortem posts,” she said.
The DVI team will also coordinate with victims’ families to gather the data required during the identification process.
“Certainly, any victims’ belongings or data from families from before the disaster occurred will be extremely useful for the team in the field for identification purposes,” she said.
Brigjen Hastry also reminded that victims who died by drowning can still be identified as long as decomposition has not passed its limit.
“The limit is the decomposition process. In water, a body decomposes more quickly. Usually after five days, parts begin to deteriorate,” she said.
Yaya Carya, a resident of Lemahabang in Cirebon, was listed on the manifest of the sunken KM Virgo Transport 8. The family is still awaiting confirmation from Basarnas.
Five crew members of KM Virgo Transport 8 survived nine hours in the Java Sea by clinging to 3 kg LPG cylinders before being evacuated. 129 people remain missing.
The evacuation process for 114 passengers of KM Virgo Transport 8, which sank in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea on Sunday (13/9), has been completed.
A National Police helicopter was dispatched from Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin to the location, approximately 80 nautical miles from Banjarmasin.
The move was taken after the deployment of a diving team on the second day was hampered by bad weather in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea.