Indonesian authorities have begun salvage operations to right the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea after strong currents and large waves disrupted the search for five days. Divers recovered the bodies of two men and a woman on Friday, bringing the confirmed death toll to nine; 108 people survived and 126 passengers and crew members remain missing.
Why the ferry must be righted
Local navy commander Galih Nurna Putra said an expert team had joined the operation and that divers had entered the vessel before strong currents forced the underwater search to stop. The salvage team aims to tow the ferry into shallower water before righting it.
The head of the Banjarmasin search and rescue agency, I Putu Sudayana, said the ship’s owner must lead the operation under Indonesian law, with support from the rescue agency, navy and maritime police.
Difficult conditions at the wreck site
The ferry remains unstable because trapped air and empty compartments could cause its hull to shift unexpectedly. Sudayana said divers face risks entering the vessel before it is righted, while specialist divers able to work at depths exceeding 100 metres have been deployed.
The wreck lies roughly 80 nautical miles, or 148km, from the command centre at Trisakti port in Banjarmasin, according to rescue agency official Arianto Ardi.
The voyage and rescue effort
Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people on a 20-hour journey from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it capsized in bad weather early on Sunday. Rough seas had hindered about 1,100 rescuers searching for missing people. Read the context: Search expands after Indonesia ferry capsizes in Java Sea.
What happens next
Search and recovery teams are expected to resume removing bodies once the ferry has been righted, according to I Putu Sudayana.
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