Latest Data on Virgo Ship Victims: 6 Dead, 129 Missing, 108 Survived

A total of 114 people have been located following the sinking of KMP Virgo Transport 8 in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea. Of this number, 108 individuals have been rescued and six others have been confirmed dead.

According to Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi, the 114 individuals have been evacuated using several vessels, with the majority of the victims being transported to Banjarmasin. “The total number found so far is 114, with a breakdown of 108 survivors and six deceased,” stated Minister Dudy during a press conference at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Monday (14/09/2026).

Dudy noted that the casualty figures may still change as search operations continue by the SAR team.

KMP Virgo Transport 8 was previously reported to have capsized and sunk after encountering severe weather while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. The vessel was reported to have lost contact in the vicinity of the Masalembo waters, Java Sea.

The Head of the Class I KSOP Office in Banjarmasin, Heri Purwanto, stated that the ship experienced listing and lost contact on 13 September 2020 at approximately 02:00 local time. The Banjarmasin Basarnas office also noted that the vessel encountered bad weather before contact was lost.

According to the official Ministry of Transportation website, manifest data shows that KMP Virgo Transport 8 was carrying a total of 243 people. This included 30 crew members, 27 ship partners, 59 adult passengers, one child, and 126 drivers and assistants. The vessel was also transporting 89 vehicles.

The Indonesian-flagged Ro-Ro passenger ship, KMP Virgo Transport 8, has a gross tonnage of 8,540 GT. The vessel was captained by Arief Yunianto and operated by PT Virgo Karya Shipping.

The ship departed from Surabaya Port on 12 September 2026 at 06:52 local time, bound for Banjarmasin Port.