Jakarta (ANTARA) – On the 12th day of the search operation, 99 passengers from the Virgo Transport 8 ferry remained missing, while 143 individuals had been evacuated as of Thursday, as informed by the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
“This is the updated data as of Thursday noon: a total of 143 people have been evacuated, comprising 108 survivors and 35 deceased, with the current update indicating 36 fatalities have been recovered. Meanwhile, 99 passengers remain the subject of the search,” Basarnas Head Mohammad Syafii stated on Thursday.
Syafii said the search operation is being supported by personnel and assets from various agencies. A total of around 1,256 personnel and 17 vessels have been deployed, along with two Basarnas helicopters, one Indonesian Navy helicopter, one Indonesian Air Force Boeing aircraft, and one police helicopter.
Underwater search efforts have been hampered by currents reaching speeds of 6–7 knots. Divers typically operate in currents of around 0.5 knots, with a maximum limit of 2.5 knots for specialized personnel, whereas the current at the site exceeds 6 knots.
Weather forecasts indicate that underwater search operations are only feasible during the tidal transition periods.
“This means that the brief windows during the shift between high and low tides are the only times we can actually conduct the work,” he explained.
In addition, a salvage operation is deemed necessary to accelerate the process.
“The vessel must be moved within a maximum of 180 days. Given that there are still victims inside, we have requested that the salvage operation be carried out alongside the search and recovery efforts, meaning the process should be expedited,” he stated.
The measure is expected to help recover the remaining victims, Syafii added.
Some 243 people were on board the Virgo Transport 8 ferry, while it sailed from Surabaya to Banjarmasin on September 12, comprising 213 passengers and 30 crew members.
The vessel was reported to have lost contact around 02:00 Central Indonesian Time (WITA) on the following day, after encountering adverse weather conditions during the voyage.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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