SAR Team Refutes Claims that Mataram Crew Member Found on Beach Area
The Mataram City SAR Office has confirmed that the remains of I Putu Angga Santyana were found inside the wreckage of the sunken ship. Angga was a crew member of the KM Virgo Transport 8, originally from Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
Bustanul, the Head of Operations at the Mataram City SAR Office, refuted information suggesting that Angga’s body was found in the coastal area.
“The victim was found inside the ship. After the Basarnas diving team conducted dives and attempted to enter the vessel, the victim was located there,” said Bustanul, when met at the funeral home in the Seksari neighbourhood, North Cakranegara, Mataram, on Wednesday (23/09/2026) evening.
“It is estimated that the body was found on the eighth day in a deceased state. Subsequently, the DVI team from Banjarmasin performed identification, confirming that the victim was a crew member from Lombok,” he added.
Bustanul stated that the SAR team is still conducting further search operations for other victims of the KM Virgo that sank in the Java Sea. Joint diving teams are reported to be continuing their underwater searches to locate other victims who may still be trapped within the ship’s compartments.
“For more specific details, we cannot provide definitive information yet, as the team is currently still diving to search for victims who may still be trapped inside the ship,” he concluded.
It is known that Angga was one of the victims of the sinking of the KM Virgo Transport 8. After being declared missing, Angga was found deceased and successfully identified by officers on Tuesday (22/09).
Angga’s remains were flown from South Kalimantan to Mataram. The aircraft transporting the crew member’s body transited through Surabaya before finally arriving in his hometown this evening.
According to reports, a total of 122 victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8 have been successfully identified. The remaining individuals are still undergoing identification by the DVI team of the South Kalimantan Regional Police alongside the National Police DVI unit.
The KM Virgo Transport 8, which was carrying 243 people, capsized and sank in the Java Sea waters on Sunday (13/09). The vessel sank after encountering severe weather while en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.