KM Virgo Transport 8 Sighted Underwater by Kopaska Divers

The search for victims of the capsized and sunken Virgo Transport vessel in the Java Sea is ongoing, conducted by the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). As previously reported, the KM Virgo Transport 8, which was sailing from Surabaya to Balikpapan, lost contact before ultimately sinking.

To date, 129 victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8 remain missing. In footage obtained on Friday, 18 September 2026, the Indonesian Navy’s Kopaska/Kopebal team shared images of the KM Virgo Transport 8 resting at a depth of 29 metres at the accident site in the Java Sea.

The video reveals extremely strong currents around the vessel’s location, with visible scrapes and abrasions on several sides of the ship.

According to the Head of Basarnas, Air Marshal Mohammad Syafi’i, underwater operations by the diving team have not yet been able to be carried out to their full potential. This is due to current speeds reaching 6 knots, whereas safety regulations recommend diving only when underwater currents are below 1.5 knots.

“The challenge we face is that our underwater operations cannot yet be executed maximally. The team assigned to the diving has been deployed from the KRI and has headed to the planned locations for underwater searching. However, the natural conditions involve current speeds at the location reaching above 6 knots, even approaching 7 knots,” he stated, as quoted from a YouTube broadcast on Friday, 18 September 2026.

Despite safety protocols recommending diving when currents are below 1.5 knots, the powerful underwater currents made it impossible to continue the mission, forcing the deployed divers to be pulled back for their own safety.

“In accordance with regulations, diving is recommended with the condition that current speeds are below 1.5 knots. Therefore, when the team members were lowered, they were immediately pulled back because safety factors must be met,” he added.

Furthermore, Syafi’i explained that his agency is developing alternative plans for the SAR operation, including different underwater methods. If weather conditions remain unfavourable, they will consider a plan to right the vessel to facilitate the search inside the ship.