Banjarmasin, indomaritim.com – A joint team of divers recovered five more bodies from the wreckage of Virgo Transport 8 ferry which sank in the Java Sea, during a search and rescue (SAR) operation on its 16th day.
Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Mohammad Syafii said on Monday that the joint diving team comprised personnel from the Basarnas Special Group (BSG), the Indonesian Navy, and other SAR agencies.
“The five victims were found by the joint diving team inside the sunken ship and were then evacuated for further identification and handling by the relevant agencies,” he said as cited from Antara News Agency.
Of the five bodies recovered, four were taken to the KRI Gusti Ngurah Rai, while one was evacuated to the KN SAR Purworejo. All five were subsequently transferred to Sjamsudin Noor Air Force Base in Banjarbaru before being taken to Bhayangkara Hospital in Banjarmasin for identification.
The four bodies from the KRI Gusti Ngurah Rai were evacuated to Sjamsudin Noor Air Force Base using the Indonesian Navy’s HS 1331 helicopter, while the body from the KN SAR Purworejo was transported by Basarnas HR 3601 helicopter before being handed over to the relevant team.
Syafii said the successful recovery of the five bodies was the result of hard work and close coordination among all parties involved in the search and rescue operation for the Virgo Transport 8 ferry accident.
“Every victim recovered is the result of the hard work and synergy of all SAR elements. We will continue to conduct the search to the maximum extent possible using all available resources,” he said.
The agency ensured that all search, evacuation, identification, and victim-care processes were carried out in coordination with relevant agencies, while prioritizing respect for the victims and their families at every stage of the operation.
With the recovery of the five bodies, Basarnas confirmed that by the 16th day of the SAR operation on Monday, 179 people had been found, comprising 108 survivors and 71 fatalities. Another 64 people remained missing out of a total of 243 people listed on the ferry’s manifest. (Dul)
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