Prabowo Demands Thorough Investigation into Sinking of Virgo Ship
President Prabowo Subianto has requested a thorough investigation into the sinking of the Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea waters, which occurred last Sunday (13/9). He stated that an inquiry is necessary to determine the cause of the incident and to strengthen mitigation measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Prabowo made these remarks during his speech at the inauguration of the Jakarta LRT Kelapa Gading-Manggarai route on Wednesday (16/9). Amidst the inauguration of the transport project, Prabowo took the opportunity to express his condolences to the families of the victims and the affected community.
“We will continue to conduct an investigation to examine the cause of this incident so that in the future we can better mitigate and take the best possible steps,” said Prabowo. He also offered prayers for the bereaved families, hoping they find strength and fortitude in facing this tragedy.
According to Prabowo, the government’s attention is not solely focused on the Virgo ship incident. He noted that many communities in various regions are still facing difficulties due to natural disasters. He ensured that the central government, alongside regional governments and various agencies, continues to work together to address these conditions. Cross-governmental coordination was deemed essential to ensure that assistance for affected citizens is handled collectively.
“All levels of government—central, provincial, and regency—along with all agencies, have proven to work well together to face all challenges and difficulties,” Prabowo stated.
Prabowo subsequently linked the handling of these various issues to the spirit of nationhood. He believes that collaborative work between central and local governments is part of how Indonesia faces its challenges. He also urged all parties to maintain the government’s capability to respond to various issues faced by the public, whether resulting from accidents or natural disasters.
In response to the incident, the Minister of Transportation, Dudy Purwagandhi, has instructed all ranks of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation to strengthen supervision. The Indonesian Transport Community (MTI) has highlighted that ship accidents remain a recurring issue. Academic from Unika Soegijapranata and MTI Advisory Board member, Djoko Setijowarno, emphasised that inspections of seaworthiness must cover everything from technical aspects to safety.
Meanwhile, PT Jasa Raharja (Persero) has distributed compensation to the family of Nurul Rian Hidayat, one of the crew members of KM Virgo Transport 8 from Pamekasan, East Java. Additionally, the House of Representatives (DPR), through its relevant committees, will oversee the investigation process to ensure it is thorough and transparent. The Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team of the East Java Regional Police has collected 13 DNA samples from the immediate families of the victims. Despite the tragedy, reports indicate that KM Virgo Transport 8 was confirmed to be seaworthy and met all sailing standards prior to the incident.