BANJARMASIN (TABIRkota) – A joint diving team comprising the Basarnas Special Group (BSG), Kopaska, the Indonesian Navy’s 2nd Fleet Command (Koarmada II), and PT Jasalindo successfully located numerous bodies inside the wreckage of the KM Virgo Transport 8, which sank in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea last Sunday (Sept 13).
I Putu Sudayana, Head of the Banjarmasin Class A Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas) and the SAR Mission Coordinator, stated during a press conference at the Trisakti Port Command Post in Banjarmasin on Tuesday (Sept 22) evening that recovery efforts were hindered by strong currents and the fact that many victims were trapped, making it impossible to pull them out.
"The joint diving team managed to gain access to several cabins within the KM Virgo Transport 8 by breaking windows and discovered many of the victims’ bodies," he said.
He noted that attempts were made to retrieve some of the located victims using ropes, but these efforts were unsuccessful.
"The victims are likely pinned or snagged on something, making it difficult to pull them out with ropes," he said.
As of Tuesday (Sept 22), the joint diving team had successfully recovered three victims from the ship’s wreckage.
He added that when they attempted to continue the recovery process, the water became murky and the sea currents intensified, making it impossible to proceed.
"Hopefully, tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept 23), weather conditions will improve and the sea currents will calm down, allowing the joint diving team to carry out the recovery process smoothly and retrieve more bodies," Sudayana said.
For Wednesday’s operation, the joint diving team scheduled its focus on the ship’s compartments, specifically the economy and executive class passenger cabins.
Meanwhile, the search for vehicles located inside the ship has not yet been carried out, as the vessel’s abnormal position has caused the cargo to pile up and overlap.
As of 10:00 PM Central Indonesian Time (WITA) on Tuesday (Sept 22), Basarnas confirmed that 126 victims had been found—comprising 108 survivors and 18 fatalities—while 117 victims remain missing out of the 243 people listed on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest. (ra)
