Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) – The owner of the Virgo Transport 8 ferry has pledged to meet victims’ rights, including helping survivors return home and providing financial assistance, the amount of which is still being calculated.
Virgo Transport 8 owner’s spokesman Simson Fransiscus Riki said here Friday that the company had taken concrete steps from the first day to address victims’ needs.
“It is not just a statement. We have taken action from the beginning until now. We have done what was necessary since the first day,” he said.
Regarding reports that survivors were asked to leave hotels in Banjarmasin, Simson said the company had instead helped them return home after they felt uncomfortable and requested to reunite with their families.
“The owner initially facilitated their return by sea, but the victims said they were traumatized by sea travel and requested additional assistance to return home,” he said.
Simson clarified reports that victims would receive 500,000 rupiah (US$28) in financial assistance, saying the amount had not been finalized as the company was still assessing its needs and capacity.
“We have also prepared additional assistance, and we will announce the amount soon because we are still calculating everything,” Simson said.
He said the initial financial assistance given to victims for their return from Banjarmasin came from the South Kalimantan governor, while the owner was preparing additional assistance.
Simson said victims who had returned home were still being recorded and asked to provide their bank account numbers so the company could fulfill their entitlements.
“Those who have returned have been recorded and asked to provide their bank account numbers so we can fulfill their rights,” he said.
Families of victims still in Banjarmasin continue to receive food and accommodation assistance, while the owner is coordinating with Pelindo over facilities for families at Trisakti Port.
Simson also said a circulating letter offering financial assistance with a specific amount and conditions, bearing a 10,000-rupiah stamp, was fake.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people when it departed Surabaya, East Java, for Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on September 12, 2026.
The ferry encountered bad weather and lost contact at about 2 a.m. local time on September 13 before being found overturned in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea.
By 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, the fifth day of the search, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said 114 people had been found, including 108 survivors and six dead, while 129 remained missing.
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Translator: Tumpal AA, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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