Indonesian rescue teams plan to right the capsized passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea as strong currents continue to block underwater access for 129 missing people, according to national rescue agency chief Mohammad Syafii. The vessel overturned early Sunday while carrying 243 people on a route from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
Six people died and 108 survived the disaster, tallies that have remained unchanged since Sunday, according to the national rescue agency. The operation to turn the hull upright aims to clear the way for divers to search the interior before towing the ship away for an investigation.
Salvage Plans and Underwater Search Obstacles
National rescue agency chief Mohammad Syafii announced at a Wednesday press conference that local and foreign experts were consulted on the salvage strategy. Turning the vessel upright is expected to take approximately 24 hours, though complications could extend the timeline, according to Syafii.
On Wednesday, two Indonesian Navy teams attempted an underwater search but withdrew because currents reached nearly 7 knots, Syafii said. Diving is recommended only when the current is below 1.5 knots.
Galih Nurna Putra, the Navy commander in Banjarmasin, stated that evidence recovered during initial dives will be transferred to the National Transportation Safety Committee, which is investigating the incident. Air and sea surface sweeps conducted on Wednesday failed to locate any of the 129 missing individuals, and identical surface missions are scheduled to continue.
Scale of the Rescue Operation and Weather Conditions
The disaster response involves at least 622 personnel deployed across 17 ships, five helicopters, and aircraft, according to figures released by the rescue agency. Rescuers face severe meteorological obstacles at the accident site, which lies roughly 80 nautical miles from the command center at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin.
Winds and three-metre waves battered the vessel when it encountered trouble early Sunday, according to Syafii. The wrecked hull has since drifted approximately 450 metres from its initial position and rests in waters roughly 29 metres deep, Syafii noted. Under Indonesian Maritime Law, the ship’s owner must remove or tow the wreck if it interferes with shipping lanes.
Investigation and Regional Safety Concerns
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that the vessel possessed a capacity of 500 passengers, indicating that the ship was not overloaded with its manifest of 243 occupants. Prabowo has ordered an investigation into the disaster.
The accident occurred in the Java Sea. A portion of the sea around the Masalembo islands is often referred to as Indonesia’s Bermuda Triangle, given the number of air and maritime accidents that take place there, including the 1981 sinking of the Tampomas II ship, which claimed nearly 600 lives by some estimates.
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