Operator Claims Weather Caused KM Virgo 8 Sinking, Harbour Master Refutes
PT Virgo Karya Shipping, the owner and operator of KM Virgo Transport 8, claims that extreme weather was the sole cause of the vessel sinking in the Java Sea waters during the early hours of Sunday (13/9).
Yoel Rihi, General Manager of PT Virgo Karya Shipping, strongly suspects that the incident, which involved a vessel carrying 243 souls and 89 vehicles, was triggered by bad weather and heavy swells. Yoel explained that the first report regarding operational disturbances was received at 01:00 WITA on Sunday, indicating wave anomalies in the Java Sea.
“As an initial suspicion, this is due to bad weather and waves. I received the report at 01:00 because of waves. According to reports from Basarnas, the wave height was approximately 1.5 to 2.5 metres. The initial suspicion is indeed due to those waves and bad weather,” Yoel stated at his office on Monday (14/9).
While the initial suspicion points to natural factors, questions remain regarding the vessel’s safety mechanisms, such as whether alarms sounded on time, the lifeboat deployment mechanism, and potential hull leaks. The company has not yet provided a detailed chronology of the sinking. Yoel emphasised that management is allowing the crew members, who recently escaped death, time to rest.
“Regarding the mechanism, we do not have the actual data yet as we must interview the crew first. We cannot immediately press them with questions like ‘What happened?’ We must focus on letting them rest and recover until they are healthy and safe,” he said.
Facing conflicting information on social media, the operator has chosen not to speculate further, stating they will abide by legal and maritime safety procedures and leave the investigation to the relevant authorities. “I cannot confirm the details of the incident yet. We must wait for the investigation results from the KNKT (National Transportation Safety Committee). It would be best to discuss the certainty of this with Basarnas, as I am also waiting for data from them,” he added.
Furthermore, Yoel asserted that KM Virgo 8 was seaworthy and operated with complete legal documentation before departure. He confirmed that the vessel underwent routine maintenance, including docking at a shipyard earlier this year.
In contrast, the Head of the Tanjung Perak Surabaya Port Authority and Harbour Master (KSOP) Utama, Agustinus Maun, refuted claims that the KM Virgo Transport 8 incident was caused by technical negligence or extreme weather. He stated that KM Virgo 8 had met all safety aspects before the Sailing Approval Letter (SPB) was issued.
The vessel reportedly held safety certificates valid until February 2027, and hull and machinery verification from the Indonesian Classification Agency (BKI) was active until May 2027. The KSOP also denied that permission to sail was forced despite potential high waves. Agustinus claimed they had coordinated with the Head of BMKG Tanjung Perak, who confirmed there were no early warnings for extreme weather that would impact navigation on the day of the incident.
Based on weather forecasts, wave heights in the Java Sea on the day of departure were between 1.5 and 2 metres. This condition was deemed within the safety tolerance for a vessel with a weight of 8,540 Gross Tonnage (GT). “Based on the weather forecast information on that date, there was no problem. The wave height in that area of the Java Sea was at most 2 metres. A vessel with a tonnage of 8,540 can navigate through such situations,” said Agustinus at the Gapura Surya Nusantara (GSN) Terminal, Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, on Monday.
KM Virgo, which sank in the Java Sea, was carrying 243 passengers and crew, along with 89 vehicles. Of the 243 individuals, 108 have been evacuated safely, 6 fatalities have been confirmed, while 129 others remain missing.