Virgo 8 Ship Capsizes in Java Sea: 6 Dead, Hundreds Missing
A maritime accident has occurred in Indonesian waters. Less than a month after the KMP Nurul Salsa incident in early September, the KM Virgo Transport 8 has capsised in the Java Sea.
The incident took place in the Java Sea waters on Sunday (13/9) at 02:00 WITA, during a voyage from Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, to Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin.
The KM Virgo was carrying 243 passengers and crew. Of this number, 103 individuals have been evacuated, with 97 confirmed safe and six reported dead. Meanwhile, 140 others remain missing as of Sunday (14/6).
Chronology
Basarnas Banjarmasin revealed that the Virgo Transport 8 departed from Surabaya on Saturday (12/9) at 10:13 GMT. At 02:00 WITA, the ship was reported to have lost contact after encountering bad weather during the journey. The General Manager of PT Virgo, Yoel Rihi, subsequently reported the incident to the Banjarmorkan SAR Office at approximately 04:10 WITA.
“At the time the report was received, the ship could not be contacted and its location was unknown,” stated an official release from Basarnas Banjarmasin.
In response, at 04:30 WITA, the Banjarmasin SAR Office dispatched a rescue team of six personnel to the Basirih SAR Pier. The team then proceeded to the estimated last known position using the KN SAR Laksmana 241, with an estimated travel time of approximately five hours.
Tilting and Sinking
A survivor, Ahmad Saudi, shared his testimony of the moments the Virgo tilted and sank. Ahmad stated he was asleep when the incident occurred and was woken by people running through the ship.
“It happened very quickly. While I was sleeping in my seat, people were running. I asked why, and they said the ship was tilting. When I stood up, it was indeed tilting,” Ahmad recounted.
In the ensuing chaos, Ahmad clung to a window before moving to the upper deck, attempting to stay on the ship as long as possible until a rubber lifeboat was deployed.
“I ran downstairs, held onto the window, and stayed there while the ship tilted. After it tilted, I climbed to the top and waited for the ship to sink. Once the rubber boat was released, I jumped in,” he said.
He noted that many passengers, particularly women and children staying in the economy class cabins, were trapped because the ship tilted so rapidly. He also noted the absence of an alarm system to warn passengers.
He added that the event occurred around 01:30 WIB. Even after reaching the rubber boat, the situation remained perilous due to heavy waves and strong winds.
Evacuation of Hundreds
Several passengers from the Virgo Transport 8 were evacuated to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, using various rescue vessels. As of 17:00 WITA on Sunday, 153 passengers had been evacuated, including both survivors and the deceased.
In addition to the MV Haida, which carried 69 people, other vessels deployed included TB TCP, TB Mauhan, and KM Cahaya Bahari. As of 14:30 WITA, six fatalities were confirmed; five victims were transported via TB TCP, while one was transported via TB Mauhan.