According to Tempo.co and Antara, Indonesia’s Basarnas (the National Search and Rescue Agency) is preparing a salvage operation involving specialists from Indonesia, the United States, and Hong Kong to increase the possibilities of finding victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident in the Java Sea despite difficult weather.
KM Virgo Transport 8 Salvage Operation Details
During a Wednesday evening press conference at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Basarnas Head Mohammad Syafii noted that domestic and international specialists would evaluate the ship’s state to decide on the necessary equipment and operational procedures before the salvage operation. Syafii explained that salvage operations are used for ships involved in accidents—specifically those that have capsized, sunk, run aground, or been heavily damaged—and can include securing and righting the craft, entering the interior to search for and rescue victims, and eventually towing or moving the vessel from the site.
Syafii noted that most of the expert team members are coming from Jakarta. Some personnel are already on-site, while the rest of the team is scheduled to arrive around 10:00 AM. The team currently on-site will be joined by additional personnel before conducting an aerial observation. Afterward, the team will return to Banjarmasin for a coordination meeting based on the assessment of the vessel’s condition to determine necessary equipment and resources, which could be brought in from Surabaya, Kalimantan, or other regions depending on operational needs.
Contingency Plans and Expected Timeline
Basarnas stated that the salvage operation is being organized as a backup plan should adverse sea weather continue to make underwater searches impossible. One proposed plan involves righting the vessel using inflatable bags or balloons, allowing the team to search the interior and evacuate victims. Once the search and rescue process is deemed complete, the vessel will be towed away for investigation purposes.
Syafii clarified that the way the salvage is carried out will depend on the results of the expert team’s assessment and observation. Drawing on the experience and expertise of the specialist team, the salvage is anticipated to last about 24 hours if every stage goes smoothly, although unforeseen conditions or difficulties could lengthen this timeframe.
Vessel History and Current Casualty Status
On September 12, 2026, the KM Virgo Transport 8 departed Surabaya, East Java, for Banjarmasin with 243 people on board. It was reported that the ship encountered bad weather and lost communication before it was discovered capsized in the Java Sea’s Masalembo waters at 01:00 WIB on September 13, 2026.
As of Wednesday, September 16, at 22:00 WITA, Basarnas confirmed that 114 victims had been located, comprising 108 survivors and six fatalities. Out of the 243 people listed on the ship’s manifest, 129 remain missing.
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