Rescue teams in Indonesia are preparing to right a passenger vessel that capsized in the Java Sea last weekend, aiming to advance their search for 129 people still unaccounted for. The vessel, Virgo Transport 8, overturned amid adverse weather conditions during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
The incident occurred early Sunday on a route expected to take 20 hours, carrying a total of 243 passengers and crew. To date, six fatalities have been confirmed and 108 survivors rescued. These figures have remained unchanged since the initial rescue efforts began.
Efforts to conduct underwater searches have been hampered by strong currents and large waves, prompting authorities to shift focus toward salvaging the ship. Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency, explained in a Wednesday press briefing that the agency, in coordination with the Indonesian Navy and both local and foreign experts, is assessing plans to turn the capsized vessel upright. This operation is intended to facilitate a safer and more effective search and evacuation operation.
“Salvaging the vessel by righting it will allow us to conduct a more thorough search and evacuation,” Syafii stated. Following the completion of these efforts, the ship is expected to be towed for a formal investigation.
Typically, the process of turning a ship upright would take about 24 hours, though Syafii cautioned that complications could extend this timeframe. Earlier on Wednesday, two Navy diving teams attempted an underwater search but were forced to abort due to currents estimated at nearly seven knots—well above the recommended maximum of 1.5 knots for diving operations.
Galih Nurna Putra, Navy commander in Banjarmasin, indicated that some evidence recovered during these limited underwater efforts would be handed over to the National Transportation Safety Committee, which is leading the accident investigation. He did not provide details on the nature of the findings.
Surface and aerial searches conducted on Wednesday did not locate any of the missing individuals, and similar operations were planned for the following day. The capsized vessel is situated approximately 150 kilometers from Banjarmasin port, having drifted some 450 meters since the incident. It lies in water about 29 meters deep.
Indonesian maritime law mandates that the owner of the vessel must remove or tow it if it poses a hazard to navigation or obstructs shipping lanes, officials said. The ongoing salvage and search operations reflect the challenges posed by the vessel’s current position and prevailing sea conditions.