Prabowo commits to investigating KMP Virgo accident

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fully investigating the cause of the KMP Virgo Transport 8 accident in the Java Sea, which occurred on Sunday (13/9).

President Prabowo stated that the government will investigate the cause of the incident to serve as material for evaluation, aiming to strengthen mitigation efforts and enhance maritime safety.

“We will continue to conduct an investigation. Investigating the cause of the event so that in the future we can better mitigate and take the best possible steps,” said President Prabowo during the inauguration of the Jakarta LRT Kelapa Gading-Manggarai Line, Jakarta, on Wednesday, as monitored online.

According to Prabowo, the investigation is essential to identify the contributing factors of the incident and to provide a basis for the government to implement preventative measures to ensure similar accidents do not recur.

In addition to ensuring the investigation process proceeds, Prabowo also expressed his condolences and prayers for the families affected by the incident.

“And we always pray that the families left behind are granted fortitude and strength,” he said.

On the same occasion, Prabowo also stated that the government will continue to provide attention to citizens facing various difficulties due to disasters in several regions of Indonesia. He emphasised that all elements of the government are working together to face various emergency conditions and challenges in the field.

“The entire government—central, regional, provincial, and regency levels, all agencies—has proven to work well together to face all challenges and difficulties,” he concluded.

As information, according to reports from the Ministry of Transportation, KMP Virgo Transport 8 departed from Surabaya Port bound for Banjarmasin Port on Saturday (12/9) at 06:52 WIB, carrying 243 people according to manifest data.

Subsequently, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the vessel reported experiencing bad weather on Sunday (13/9) at 01:00 WIB in the Java Sea waters before eventually losing contact. The government subsequently conducted search efforts for victims and underwater operations, while the cause of the accident is still being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).