The passenger ship "Virgo Transport 8," which sank in the Java Sea, is currently facing an increase in the number of casualties to 20. This ship, which sank on September 13 under adverse weather conditions, was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members and an unspecified number of vehicles.
Details of the incident and search
According to officials, search operations for the missing passengers have been ongoing since the day of the incident. Over the past three days, rescue personnel have successfully discovered eight bodies from inside the ship, and two bodies were found on the shores of Central Kalimantan province, approximately 253 kilometers from the incident site.
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Currently, 115 people are still missing, and 108 have been identified as survivors. According to Mohammad Sifi, head of the National Rescue Agency, efforts are focused on further searching inside the ship's cabins.
Challenges in the search operation
Divers were able to break the windows of the cabins on Tuesday, but due to murky water and strong currents, they have been unable to enter the cabins. These conditions have made it difficult to return inside the ship and find the trapped passengers.
The head of the Banjar Matan Rescue Agency, E. Putu Sodeyana, has stated that the investigation and search will focus on the hull of the ship. If it is safe, there may be a search conducted on the vehicles present in the ship as well, but this will come with challenges.
Search and rescue operations will continue until next Sunday. Officials have also announced that efforts to right the ship are underway, but as of Wednesday, the ship remains in a sunken state.
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