Indonesia Recovers Three More Victims From Sunken Passenger Ship, Death Toll Rises to 13

Indonesia’s search and rescue agency recovered three more bodies from the wreck of passenger ship KM Virgo Transport 8 on Monday, September, 21.

The three recoveries took the confirmed death toll to 13. The ship was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, when it capsized in bad weather early on Sept. 13.

The ship was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it sank in the Java Sea.

By 4 p.m. local time on Monday, 121 people had been accounted for. This included 108 survivors and 13 people who had died. Another 122 people were still missing, the National Search and Rescue Agency, Basarnas, reported.

Divers from the Basarnas Special Group (BSG) found two male bodies during the morning search. They were recovered at about 9:04 a.m. and 9:13 a.m. WITA.

The divers later found another victim at about 2:24 p.m. WITA while searching inside the ship’s hull.

The Joint SAR Team took the recovered victims out of the ship for medical checks and identification.

Basarnas chief Air Marshal Mohammad Syafi’i said the search would continue for people who could still be inside the ship. He also said the safety of the divers was a priority.

One of the victims recovered during the operation was taken to the KN SAR Kamajaya. A Basarnas HR 3601 helicopter then lifted the victim from the ship using a hoisting rescue net.

Syafi’i said the method was used to move the victim safely from the ship to the helicopter.

Basarnas said divers, marine vessels and aircraft were being used in the search around the wreck.

Authorities extended the search by another week on Saturday because 122 people were still missing.

They also said it would take time to right the sunken ship as part of the salvage operation.

Basarnas reported another recovery on Sunday. Divers found the victim inside the ship’s hull and evacuated the body for identification.

The agency said the search and evacuation work would continue with divers and air support.

References: jawawa, channelnewsasia