Moments Indonesian Navy Divers Recover 3 Victims from KM Virgo, Bodies Trapped Inside Shipwreck

BANJARMASIN, KOMPAS.com - The Indonesian Navy diving team recovered three bodies of victims from the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident on Friday afternoon (18/9/2026).

The victims arrived at Trisakti Port in Banjarmasin on Friday night.

The Commander of the Banjarmasin Naval Base, Colonel Galih Nurna Putra, shared the chronology of the discovery of the three bodies.

Galih said the diving team deployed to the shipwreck site consisted of 20 members.

They began diving Friday morning and achieved results by midday after recovering one body near the ship's hull.

“Initially, we found one body. It was floating near the ship’s hull. We pulled it and brought it to the surface right away,” Galih told reporters at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, late Friday night.

Searching the Compartment Area

After recovering one body, the diving team searched one of the ship’s compartments.

Soon, they saw two bodies trapped inside, prompting the divers to break the compartment glass to evacuate the victims.

“Two bodies were trapped inside the compartment. The diving team broke the glass and successfully recovered them. So, all three victims were found inside the shipwreck,” Galih explained.

Galih and the divers strongly suspect other victims remain trapped inside the ship.

“It’s possible. We will assess the results tomorrow and hopefully achieve good progress to recover everyone,” he stated.

Galih added that some divers managed to enter the ship interior.

However, the ship’s large size and poor lighting made it challenging for divers to access all compartments.

“The wreck is vast and dark. There are few divers, and we need ropes to withstand currents and other factors. Divers entered the ship but only briefly due to inadequate equipment and darkness,” Galih said.

He hopes all trapped passengers can be evacuated soon.

“Please pray that we can find and evacuate everyone,” Galih added.

The Head of Basarnas Operations, Rear Admiral Yudhi Bramantyo Nur Sasongko, reported all victims were found at a depth of 24 meters.

The divers’ success was aided by favorable weather and relatively mild currents in the area.

Yudhi confirmed the KM Virgo Transport 8 wreck has not shifted position.

“The ship remains where it was yesterday, no longer moving, at a depth between 24 and 29 meters,” he explained.

Search operations will continue using diving methods. “If weather conditions permit, we will continue diving tomorrow,” he said.

Death Toll Rises to 9

The ship, carrying 243 passengers, had an accident in South Kalimantan waters during a voyage from Surabaya to Banjarmasin early Sunday (13/9/2026).

To date, 114 passengers have been evacuated; 108 rescued alive, while 6 died.

With the discovery of three more bodies on Friday (18/9/2026), the death toll has risen to 9. Meanwhile, 126 passengers remain missing.