BANJARMASIN (TABIRkota) – Sixty-nine survivors from the KM Virgo Transport 8—which sank in the Java Sea—arrived safely at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Sunday (Sept. 13) at approximately 18:00 Central Indonesian Time (WITA).
Upon docking, the 69 individuals were immediately transferred to the main terminal hall at Trisakti Port, which had been designated as an emergency medical treatment area.
A joint team of health workers from the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), the Health Agency, and Search and Rescue (SAR) medical units moved quickly to attend to the survivors.
Some survivors appeared to be suffering from trauma, shortness of breath, and altered states of consciousness, requiring respiratory support (oxygen), neck braces, and intravenous (IV) fluids.
According to Alfi, a PMI Banjarmasin officer, the medical team implemented a triage system to optimize the care provided to the survivors.
"The medical treatment area was divided into three main zones based on the severity of the survivors’ conditions: a green zone for those with minor injuries, a yellow zone for moderate injuries, and a red zone for those with severe injuries," he said.
In addition to health and medical personnel, police officers and port security staff were on hand to ensure the treatment process proceeded smoothly.
Meanwhile, outside the port terminal, ambulances and joint teams comprising TNI (military) and Polri (police) personnel, along with volunteers, stood ready to transport survivors requiring further medical care to referral hospitals.
As of this report, the evacuation and treatment processes are ongoing.
The KM Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 passengers, was reported to have lost contact in the Java Sea at 02:00 WITA on Sunday (Sept. 13) while en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, having departed on Saturday (Sept. 12).
Sixteen victims were successfully evacuated by TB Mauhaw IX—including one fatality—and transported to Tuban Port. Meanwhile, TB TCP evacuated 38 people (33 survivors and five fatalities), and MV Haida evacuated 69 people—all of whom survived—bringing the total numbers to the designated evacuation centers. (ra)
