Indonesian rescue divers retrieved three bodies from the hull of the sunken passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea on Friday, September 18, 2026. The vessel was carrying 243 people when it capsized in bad weather on September 13, leaving authorities searching for 126 still missing amid treacherous sea conditions.
Virgo Transport 8 Disaster and Rescue Operations in the Java Sea
Indonesia’s search and rescue efforts reached a critical juncture on Sunday, September 20, 2026, when authorities confirmed the recovery of another victim from the interior of the sunken passenger ship Virgo Transport 8. The vessel went down early on Sunday, September 13, 2026, during a 20-hour voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. Carrying 243 people on board—including 30 crew members—the ship encountered severe weather conditions featuring waves reaching up to three metres.
Mohammad Syafii, head of the national rescue agency, said that choppy waters with high waves and strong winds were impeding the search. The agency deployed at least 622 personnel, 17 ships, five helicopters and aircraft to find the missing passengers, Syafii added. Some of the ships arrived at the location, but it was difficult for rescuers to make their way into the capsized and partially submerged ship, according to Syafii.
The location of the capsized boat is around 80 nautical miles (nearly 150 km) from the command centre at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin, as stated by another official at the rescue agency, Arianto Ardi. The conditions there are quite windy, making it difficult for the (rescue) vessels to dock,
Arianto said. As of Monday afternoon, none of the 129 missing people had been found, Arianto noted, adding that rescuers were still unable to conduct a search for the victims due to the weather.
Underwater Recovery Inside the Sinking Hull
The recovery operation shifted when Navy divers managed to penetrate the submerged ship’s hull during a salvage attempt. Three Navy divers initially working to install a safety line near the ship early on Friday suddenly glimpsed a floating body through a ship’s window, said Edy Setyawan, a Navy official. They immediately broke the glass to reach the body, he added.
Murky green water flooded out as soon as the glass was broken, possibly from dirt inside the ship, said one of the divers, Rajab Suwarno. After I cleaned it up, we began the evacuation and pulled out the body,
Rajab told broadcaster Kompas TV. Along with two more bodies found later, the victims were taken to Banjarmasin on Borneo island, where most of the families were waiting, said Edy, adding that Friday’s underwater search involved 17 Navy personnel.
The search window remains strictly limited by environmental factors. Our golden period to dive is between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m.,
Edy said. After that, the current is unfavourable.
Strong currents forced a halt to the underwater search, which was scheduled to resume on Saturday. Due to the ongoing recovery requirements and the large number of missing individuals, authorities announced on Saturday that the recovery operation for the sunken ship was extended by another week because of the number of missing people and because the salvage operation to right the ship is expected to take time.
Salvage Operations to Right the Vessel
After strong currents and large waves stymied searchers for five days, authorities decided on Friday to right the ship to make the rescue effort easier. Indonesia began the operation to right the ship that had sunk to the seabed after staying partially afloat for days, authorities said. The aim is to pull the ship into shallower water before pulling it right side up, said Galih Nurna Putra, a Navy commander in Banjarmasin. The salvage operation is already underway, he added, following observation carried out.
The victim was found by divers during a search inside the ship's hull,
Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said, adding that the victim will be airlifted out for identification. The search and evacuation operation will be continued using divers and also air support,
the agency stated.
As of Saturday, authorities said nine people had been confirmed dead, with 108 survivors, while 126 passengers remain unaccounted for.
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