Update on Virgo Transport 8 Ship Accident: 107 Passengers Evacuated Safely
The Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation, through the Tanjung Perak Main Port Authority and Office (KSOP) and the Banjarmasin Class I KSOP, has reported the latest developments regarding the accident involving the passenger ship KMP Virgo Transport 8. The vessel reportedly experienced listing and lost contact in the Java Sea waters.
The Indonesian-flagged Ro-Ro passenger ship, weighing 8,540 GT, is captained by Arief Yunianto and operated by PT Virgo Karya Shipping. Before the incident, the ship departed from Surabaya Port on 12 September 2026 at 06:52 LT, destined for Banjarmasin Port.
The Head of the Banjarmasin Class I KSOP, Heri Purwanto, revealed that the vessel began experiencing difficulties near the Masalembo waters on 13 September 2026 at approximately 02:00 LT. According to manifest data, there were a total of 241 people on board.
In addition to carrying hundreds of passengers, the ship was also transporting 89 units of vehicle cargo.
“We have responded swiftly to the reports of the incident involving KMP Virgo Transport 8 in the Masalembo waters. Our primary focus and priority at this time is the safety of all parties on board through the deployment of a coordinated rescue operation,” said Heri on Sunday (13/9).
The rescue operation is being conducted intensively by joint SAR elements alongside BASARNAS Banjarmasin. The evacuation process is also receiving assistance from commercial vessels near the incident site, namely KM Hai Da, MT Mau Ha, and TB TCP.
Furthermore, the Banjarmasin Type A Class II Navigation District has deployed the State Navigation Ship KN Kunyit to accelerate the process of transferring victims from the scene.
As of this initial report, the joint team has successfully rescued 107 passengers.
“According to preliminary data, 107 passengers have been successfully evacuated safely, 6 people have died, while the process of further searching and data collection continues,” he stated.
Currently, relevant authorities are still conducting search and identification processes to ensure the condition of all passengers and crew members who were not included in the initial evacuation phase.
The Automatic Identification System of ITS (AISITS) monitoring system from the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) recorded the final journey of KM Virgo Transport 8 in the Madura Strait.
The Balikpapan Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas) has deployed the State Ship (KN) SAR Wisanggeni to strengthen the search operation for the Virgo Transport 8.
The Indonesian Transport Community (MTI) of South Kalimantan has highlighted the importance of maritime safety supervision following the accident of the Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea.
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has recorded a temporary death toll of six people in the Virgo Transport 8 accident in the Java Sea waters.
The Mayor of Banjarmasin, Muhammad Yamin HR, ensured that the local government is prepared to handle the passengers and crew of KM Virgo 8 who were reported to have lost contact in the Java Sea waters.