Death toll from capsized ship in Indonesia rises to 20 as search continues for 115 missing passengers
Authorities said 126 of 243 people on the manifest have been found as police and rescuers continue identifying victims and searching for the missing.
- On Wednesday, the death toll from the capsized KM Virgo Transport 8 rose to 20 in the Java Sea, with 115 passengers still missing. Rescuers extended search operations until Sunday as recovery efforts continue.
- The Virgo Transport 8 ferry capsized in bad weather early on September 13 while traveling from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. The vessel carried 243 people, including 30 crew members.
- Rescue teams focused on the ship's cabins Wednesday, though strong currents and murky water hindered recovery efforts. "This poses risks to the diving team," said Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin rescue agency.
- The Indonesian National Police, through its Disaster Victim Identification team, is processing victims by matching ante-mortem and DNA data. Nine victims have been identified and returned to their families.
- Authorities aim to widen the underwater search to examine vehicles piled on the ferry once cabin recovery is feasible. The operation continues as crews work to confirm identities of remaining deceased.
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18 Articles
Death toll from capsized ship in Indonesia rises to 20 as search continues for 115 missing passengers
The official death toll from a passenger ship that capsized and sank in Indonesia's Java Sea rose to 20 on Wednesday, up from the previous 10, with rescuers expecting to find more bodies as the ongoing underwater search widens, officials said.
Meanwhile, four other bodies are still in the process of being identified by the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team through DNA examination by the South Kalimantan Regional Police.
The Joint Search and Rescue Team continues its search for victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8, which sank in the waters off Masalembo, Java Sea. The Joint Search and Rescue Team continues...
The search and evacuation operation for victims of the KMP Virgo Transport 8 entered its 10th day on Tuesday (September 22, 2026). As of now, 117 people are still missing.
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