Update on KM Virgo Victims: 80 Dead, 55 Still Missing
The joint SAR team has discovered two more victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8, which capsized and sank in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea, South Kalimantan, on Friday (2/10).
The two victims were found by the team through land-based search routes. Information regarding this discovery was received by the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office from the Palangka Raya SAR Office.
On Wednesday (30/9), the joint SAR team from the Palangka and Raya SAR Office also found four victims while patrolling the coastal areas and waters within the search zone.
According to a written statement from Basarnas, these six victims were subsequently evacuated to health facilities for further identification. The six victims found on Friday morning were evacuated to Banjarmasin using the Basarnas HR-3604 helicopter.
As a result, a total of 188 victims have been successfully located, consisting of 108 survivors and 80 fatalities. Meanwhile, 55 people remain missing from a total manifest of 243 individuals.
The search operation is ongoing, with the joint SAR team optimising all available resources and equipment, conducting both sea-based searches and land-based patrols.
Basarnas continues to carry out maximum search efforts to find the remaining missing persons, while prioritising the safety of all personnel involved in the operation.
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 reportedly encountered bad weather and lost contact on 13 September 2026 at approximately 02:00 WITA. The ship was found on the same day in a capsized condition in the Masalembo waters, Java Sea.
On Monday (28/9), the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team successfully identified another 16 bodies of the KM Virgo victims. Consequently, a total of 41 bodies have been identified.
Of the 41 identified bodies, 25 had been previously identified and handed over to their families.
“The total number of identified individuals as of Monday, 28 September, is 41. There are 29 individuals yet to be identified from the total of 70 bodies received at the Bhayangkara Banjarmasin Hospital as of today,” stated the Head of Medical Department of the South Kalimantan Regional Police, Kombes dr Much Sofwan, to reporters on Monday.