Oplus_131072
BANJARMASIN, bhayaksa.net — A deep mystery still shrouds the Masalembo waters following the tragic disappearance of hundreds of lives in a heartbreaking maritime disaster. A Joint SAR Team consisting of Basarnas, the Indonesian Navy, and POSSI deployed 46 specialized divers on the seventh day of the search operation for the missing victims of the motor vessel (MV) Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea on Saturday (9/19/2026). This major tactical move was executed to maximize the search for 126 passengers who remain mysteriously missing in one of Indonesia’s most perilous maritime zones.
An official statement regarding this tactical deployment was delivered directly by the Head of the Class A Banjarmasin SAR Office and SAR Mission Coordinator, I Putu Sudayana. He explained that the reinforcement of underwater assets is a significant synergy comprising various specialized diving units.
“From the Basarnas element, we have deployed 20 personnel from the Basarnas Special Group (BSG), and today we received an additional six divers from the Indonesian Underwater Sports Association (POSSI), as well as diving units from the Indonesian Navy,” Putu said during a press conference at Trisakti Harbor, Banjarmasin, Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Furthermore, the authorities highly appreciated the rapid inter-agency collaboration to accelerate evacuation efforts at the accident’s coordinates. “We are extremely grateful for the support and the additional personnel, which provides us with a much larger team of professional divers,” he added.
The involvement of the Indonesian Navy in reinforcing the search operation includes 10 elite personnel from the Navy Seals (Kopaska) and 10 personnel from the Underwater Salvage Service (Dislambair) of the 2nd Fleet Command. The SAR authorities stated that this formidable elite diving team is scheduled to head to the crash site on Saturday afternoon. If the sea voyage goes according to plan, massive underwater diving operations to locate the victims will resume immediately on Sunday (9/20/2026) morning.
According to official manifest data recorded by Basarnas as of Saturday at 1:00 PM WITA, the vessel carried a total of 243 passengers. Of that number, 117 victims have been found, with details of 108 survivors and nine deceased individuals. Meanwhile, 126 other passengers remain under active search amidst growing uncertainty.
The tragic incident began when MV Virgo Transport 8 set sail from Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, bound for Banjarmasin on Saturday (9/12/2026). The vessel was later reported missing due to severe weather conditions in the open sea on Sunday (9/13/2026) at approximately 2:00 AM WITA. On the very same day, the ill-fated ship was spotted by monitoring teams completely capsized in the waters surrounding the Masalembo Islands, Java Sea. Otorities have confirmed that this large-scale humanitarian operation will continue relentlessly to provide closure and certainty for the victims’ families who are still praying for a miracle.
Reporter: Mustalim
Editor: bhayaksa.net Team
