Banjarmasin (ANTARA) -A salvage operation to raise the wreck of the sunken Virgo Transport 8 ferry will be carried out in October following intensive discussions with insurers, according to the vessel’s operator, PT Virgo Karya Shipping.
Speaking in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Saturday night (Oct. 3), Virgo spokesperson Simson Fransiscus Rihi said the company had been coordinating with international Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurers to move forward with the wreck removal operation.
“This is part of our responsibility,” he said, noting that the planned operation had received approval from the Ministry of Transportation, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and the Harbor Master and Port Authority.
Rihi added that the operator had selected a contractor to carry out the salvage operation but declined to identify the company as administrative procedures were still underway.
“God willing, there will be a signing in the next few days. There remain several issues that need to be resolved; we are still working to provide supporting data to the decision-makers at P&I,” he said.
He further assured the public that the operator is committed to expediting the administrative process to allow the immediate salvage of the sunken vessel, which is believed to still contain the remains of victims of the incident.
On the same occasion, Basarnas Chief Mohammad Syafii announced the suspension of underwater operations after 21 days of searching for victims, citing concerns that the recovery process could compromise human remains.
“While in previous days bodies could float upon extrication, they might disintegrate after being removed from the ship at this stage of search. For that reason, it would be ineffective to continue underwater operations under current circumstances,” he said.
He therefore called for an immediate salvage operation to facilitate the safer recovery of victims.
Basarnas confirmed that 188 of the 243 people aboard the ferry had been accounted for as of Saturday night, including 80 who were found dead.
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Translator: Tumpal Andani, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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