One Fatality from Virgo Transport 8 Ship Recovered, 125 Still Missing

The Basarnas Special Group (BSG) diving team, alongside joint rescue units, has rediscovered one deceased victim of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident in the Masalem_embo waters, Java Sea, on Sunday.

Basarnas Head Mohammad Syafii, in a statement from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Sunday, stated that the victim was found by BSG divers at 14:14 WITA during a search within the hull of the KM Virgo, which lies on the seabed.

The victim was successfully evacuated at 15:15 WITA to the KN SAR Kamajaya using the ship’s lifeboat.

Subsequently, at 16:22 WITA, the Basarnas HR 3601 helicopter evacuated the victim from the KN SAR Kamajaya to the Syamsudin Noor Airbase in Banjarbaru.

Upon arrival in Banjarbaru, the victim will be transported to Bhayangkara Hospital in Banjarmasin for further medical handling and identification.

“All SAR elements are continuing to exert maximum effort in the search and evacuation of victims,” said Syafii.

Basarnas continues to conduct intensive searches while prioritising the safety of all personnel in the field.

“Basarnas, together with all joint SAR elements, is still continuing the search and rescue operation by optimising divers, maritime assets, and aerial support around the location of KM Virgo Transport 8,” Syafii added.

With the discovery of this victim, as of the eighth day of the SAR operation on Sunday at 16:00 WITA, Basarnas confirmed that 118 victims have been found, consisting of 108 survivors and 10 deceased. Meanwhile, 125 people remain missing from the total of 243 individuals listed on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest.

KM Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people when it departed from Surabaya, East Java, bound for Banjarmasin on 12 September 2026. The vessel was reported to have encountered severe weather and lost contact on 13 September 2026 at approximately 02:00 WITA, before eventually being found capsised in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea, later that same day.