Update on KM Virgo 8 Evacuation: 10 Dead, 125 Still Missing

The Basarnas Special Group (BSG) divers have discovered another victim of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident, which capsized in the Java Sea waters, South Kalimantan. The victim was found on Sunday (20/9) at 14:14 WITA during a sweep inside the ship’s hull.

Basarnas Head, Air Marshal Mohammad Syafii, stated that the victim was located by BSG divers during search operations within the vessel. “The discovery of one victim today is the result of the hard work of the entire Joint SAR Team. We will continue to conduct searches to the maximum extent while prioritising the safety of all personnel in the field. Every victim found is a responsibility that we must evacuate and hand over to their families,” Syafii said in a statement on Sunday.

Following the discovery, the victim was evacuated by the Joint SAR Team to the KN SAR Kamajaya for further handling. The evacuation continued via air using the Basarnas HR 3601 Helicopter, utilising a hoisting rescue net technique to safely lift the victim from the ship to the helicopter.

With this latest discovery, the total number of victims found from the KM Virgo Transport 8 has reached 118, consisting of 108 survivors and 10 deceased. Based on the manifest recording 243 people, 125 individuals remain missing.

Meanwhile, 22 passengers who survived the accident were not recorded in the ship’s manifest. The Head of Class I KSOP Banjarmasin, Heri Purwanto, stated that they are currently cross-checking the data for these 22 passengers to determine if there was a recording error or an increase in the number of passengers beyond the manifest.

“The data we have shows that 22 people are not in the existing ship manifest. Therefore, we are currently attempting to reconcile the data,” Heri said during a press conference regarding the progress of the eighth day of the SAR operation at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, on Sunday night.

According to the manifest received from Surabaya, the number of passengers on KM Virgo Transport 8 was recorded as 243. However, after officials recorded 108 survivors, 22 names were found to be missing from the manifest.

Basarnas and the joint SAR elements are continuing search and evacuation efforts around the vessel’s location, optimising the deployment of divers, maritime fleets, and aerial support. This includes the use of an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to navigate the interior of the KM Virgo Transport 8 hull.

The Head of the Class A Search and Rescue Office in Banjarmasin, I Putu Sudayana, noted that plans to deploy the ROV were hindered by weather conditions. “We deployed the ROV early on, but due to very strong sea currents, the advanced equipment could not be utilised to its full potential, so the decision was made to retrieve it,” Putu said during a press conference on Sunday night.

It is hoped that weather conditions will improve so that the ROV can be redeployed. Putu explained that the ROV deployment aims to assist divers by providing a visual overview of the ship’s interior. “The ROV can reach all the small corridors within the ship. Since we have the ship’s structural design, we know which access points the ROV can enter. We will use that as initial guidance before the diving team carries out the evacuation process inside the ship,” he added.

KM Virgo Transport 8 lost contact in the Java Sea waters on Sunday (13/9) at approximately 02:00 WITA. The vessel was en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin after departing on Saturday (12/9). The ship was reported to have encountered bad weather before losing contact. On the same day, KM Virgo Transport 8 was found capsized in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea.