Three Bodies Successfully Evacuated from Virgo Ship
A joint search and rescue (SAR) team has successfully evacuated a total of three victims from the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident, which capsized in the Java Sea on Friday (18/9).
The Operational Director of Basarnas, Rear Admiral TNI Yudhi Bramantyo, stated that the three bodies were recovered by Indonesian Navy divers at approximately 12:28 and 13:10 local time.
“Therefore, I can practically confirm that we have successfully evacuated three victims,” he said during a press conference.
He explained that the bodies were retrieved from a depth of about 20 metres from the hull of the sunken KM Virgo Transport 8.
Yudhi noted that the success was supported by favourable sea current conditions, which did not hinder the divers’ efforts. He added that during the second and third days of the operation, entering the area had been difficult, but the team was able to descend today with the assistance of Navy divers.
Furthermore, he stated that the three bodies have been transferred to the KN SAR Kamajaya and are being transported to the Trisakti Pier in Banjarmasin for identification.
KM Virgo Transport 8 was reported to have lost contact in the Java Sea waters on Sunday (13/9) at 02:00 WITA, while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin since Saturday (12/9). The vessel was reported to be carrying 243 people, including passengers and crew.
As of Monday (14/9), out of the 243 people on board, 114 had been found, while 129 others remained missing.
Previously, the Head of Basarnas, Air Marshal TNI Mohammad Syafii, stated that the agency planned to conduct a salvage operation to right the KM Virgo Transport 8 to facilitate the search for victims. The vessel is currently capsized and floating in the Java Sea.
“If underwater searches cannot be conducted due to weather, we plan to perform a salvage. We intend to right the vessel to conduct searches inside and carry out evacuations,” Syafii said during a press conference on Wednesday.
“Only once we are certain the SAR process is complete will the vessel be towed for investigation purposes,” he added.