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Indonesian rescuers plan to right capsized ship as weather hampers search for 129 missing people

Rescuers will assess equipment to turn the overturned vessel upright, with 129 people still missing and underwater dives halted by 7-knot currents.

  • On Thursday, Indonesian rescuers plan to assess methods for righting the capsized KM Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea to search for 129 missing passengers after the vessel capsized Sunday with 243 people aboard.
  • Basarnas Head Mohammad Syafii is involving the ship owner to remove the wreckage under Indonesia's Shipping Law; while regulations allow up to 180 days, officials must accelerate efforts because victim searches remain ongoing.
  • Navy divers withdrew from underwater searches Wednesday as currents reached nearly 7 knots, exceeding the 1.5-knot safety threshold; the ship lies around 150 km from Banjarmasin port in approximately 29 metres deep water.
  • As of Wednesday, Basarnas confirmed 114 victims found—108 survivors and six fatalities—while salvage operations to upright the vessel are expected to take approximately 24 hours, though complications could extend the timeline.
  • Evidence recovered during future dives will be transferred to the National Transportation Safety Committee for investigation; moving the wreckage is critical to supporting ongoing victim evacuation efforts at the earliest opportunity.
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Basarnas emphasized that, based on the provisions of the Shipping Law, ship owners are responsible for moving or lifting the wreck of an accident ship.

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Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency) confirmed that the Virgo Transport 8 ship sank in the Java Sea. The search for 129 people remains ongoing.

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Republika Online broke the news on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
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