Prabowo Responds to Virgo Ship Capsizing Incident: We Will Investigate

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that the government will continue to investigate the sinking of KM Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea.

“We will continue to conduct an investigation, examining the cause of the incident so that in the future we can better mitigate risks and take the best possible steps,” Prabowo said during his speech at the Jakarta Manggarai LRT Station, South Jakarta, on Wednesday (16/9).

He initially addressed the attendees at the inauguration of the Jakarta LRT Kelapa Gading-Manggarai route regarding citizens facing disasters, before specifically mentioning the sinking of KM Virgo Transport 8.

“We certainly always remember our brothers and sisters who have experienced disasters, most recently, the Virgo ship in Banjarmasin. We always pray that the families left behind are granted fortitude and strength,” he expressed.

Prabowo subsequently instructed an investigation into the incident as part of a mitigation effort.

As of the fourth day of search operations on Wednesday (16/9), out of the 243 people on board the vessel, 114 have been found. Of those, 108 were found safe, while six others have been confirmed dead.