Update on Virgo Ship Accident: 13 Dead, 122 Still Missing

Divers from the Basarnas Special Group (BSG) discovered another deceased victim inside the overturned hull of KM Virgo 8 in the Java Sea waters on Monday (21/9) at approximately 14:24 WIB.

As a result, the total number of victims found has reached 121, consisting of 108 survivors and 13 fatalities. Consequently, 122 people remain missing out of the total 243 individuals listed on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest.

The Head of Basarnas, Air Marshal Mohammad Syafii, stated that the search and evacuation process is being carried out to the maximum extent, deploying all available personnel and resources.

“We will not stop. Every discovery is part of our effort to provide certainty to the families. The team will continue to conduct the search maximally, while certainly prioritising the safety of the divers,” Syafii said in his statement on Monday.

After being evacuated from the ship’s hull, the victims were transported via Helicopter HR 3601 to Banjarmasin Airport at 11:20 WITA.

Subsequently, the victims will be handed over to the relevant authorities for identification and further handling.

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 is suspected to have lost contact due to severe weather conditions. The ship was discovered on the same day in an overturned condition in the Java Sea waters.