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Virgo Transport 8 ferry sinking leaves 129 missing in Java Sea
The passenger ferry KMP Virgo Transport 8 sank in the Java Sea on Sunday, September 13, 2026, while traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. The vessel, which carried 243 people (213 passengers and 30 crew), encountered adverse weather conditions, including significant waves between 1.75 and 2.5 meters, near the Masalembo waters.
As of September 16, search and rescue operations have confirmed 108 survivors and six fatalities. However, 129 individuals remain missing. The search area has been expanded significantly, reaching up to 6,120 square nautical miles, with authorities dividing the zone into multiple sectors for aerial and maritime sweeps.
President Prabowo Subianto has called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident to improve future maritime safety and mitigation. Indonesian Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi stated that the ship was not overloaded at the time of departure. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is utilizing advanced technology, including the KRI Canopus equipped with underwater drones and remotely operated vehicles (ROV), to locate the wreckage, which lies at a depth of approximately 30 meters.
Entities
Banjarmasin · Basarnas · Dudy Purwagandhi · Indonesian Navy · Jasa Raharja · Java Sea · KRI Canopus · Mohammad Syafii · Prabowo Subianto · Surabaya · Virgo Transport 8
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 16 SOURCES] 108 people have been rescued from the vessel. diariodelcauca.com.co · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.hsbnoticias.com · www.perthnow.com.au · +7 more
- [● 17 SOURCES] Six people have died in the Virgo Transport 8 ferry accident. diariodelcauca.com.co · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.hsbnoticias.com · world-today-journal.com · +8 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] The ship's manifest recorded a total of 243 people, including 213 passengers and 30 crew members. diariodelcauca.com.co · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.hsbnoticias.com · world-today-journal.com · +7 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] The navy is deploying the Canopus vessel, which is equipped with an underwater drone and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.perthnow.com.au · malutpost.id · en.antaranews.com · +1 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] Wave heights in the search area have been recorded between 1.75 and 2.5 metres. srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.perthnow.com.au · thenightly.com.au · www.elbuentono.com.mx
- [● 18 SOURCES] 129 people remain missing following the accident. diariodelcauca.com.co · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.hsbnoticias.com · www.perthnow.com.au · +9 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] The wreckage of the Virgo Transport 8 is resting at a depth of approximately 30 meters in the Java Sea. www.elbuentono.com.mx
- [● 2 SOURCES] Jasa Raharja has provided compensation to the heirs of a deceased victim identified as Reyner Falista Yosilianto. daerah.sindonews.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The wreckage of the Virgo Transport 8 is resting at a depth of approximately 30 meters.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The search area has been expanded to 4,600 nautical miles. malutpost.id
- [● 5 SOURCES] The KRI Canopus is equipped with underwater drones, a multibeam echo-sounder, and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). malutpost.id · en.antaranews.com · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Virgo Transport 8 was not overloaded when it set sail. malaysiatribune.news