Jakarta, ThedailyID — Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has extended the search for 126 people still missing after the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident in the Java Sea.
The search operation will continue for another seven days. Basarnas announced the extension on Saturday night, September 19, 2026, the seventh day of the operation.
Basarnas Operations Director First Admiral Yudhi Bramantyo Nur Sasongko said the decision followed coordination with agencies involved in the SAR operation and a salvage team appointed by the vessel’s owner.
“Today marks the seventh day. We have decided to extend the operation for another seven days,” Yudhi said at a press conference at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, as quoted by ANTARA on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
As of 9 p.m. Central Indonesia Time on Saturday, rescuers had found 117 people. The figure included 108 survivors and nine confirmed fatalities.
Meanwhile, 126 people remained missing from the vessel’s manifest of 243 passengers and crew. The joint SAR team did not report any new victims on the seventh day.
KM Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people when it departed Surabaya, East Java, for Banjarmasin on September 12, 2026.
The vessel encountered severe weather and lost contact at around 2 a.m. local time on September 13. Search teams later found the ship overturned in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea.
Two salvage teams coordinated by the vessel’s owner arrived on Saturday. By Saturday evening, the teams were still discussing plans with relevant authorities for the salvage operation.
Basarnas decided to extend the SAR operation while waiting for the salvage team’s assessment. The agency said the decision would allow the search to continue based on developments at the site.
“The salvage operation may take a long time. It may be lengthy and not as short as we imagine. We cannot say when it will finish, but the owner’s team of experts is currently discussing it,” Yudhi said.
The extended operation will therefore continue alongside discussions about how to handle the overturned vessel. Authorities have not yet announced a final timeline for the salvage work.
