Antara News·Indonesia·Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 12:03 PM UTC

Basarnas wraps up Virgo ferry search, 53 people remain missing

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Tumpal Andani, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has ended its 53-day search for victims of the Virgo Transport 8 ferry accident in the Java Sea, with 53 of the 243 people aboard still missing.

I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Class A Search and Rescue Office and search mission coordinator, said the decision followed a comprehensive evaluation of search efforts by all participating agencies.

"The SAR operation for Virgo Transport 8 ferry has been closed today, Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Monitoring will continue with all elements," he said at a news conference on Wednesday.

By the operation's final day, search teams had found 190 people: 108 survivors and 82 dead. The remaining 53 were still missing, more than seven weeks after the September 13, 2026, accident.

Sudayana said the closure complied with Law No. 29 of 2014 on Search and Rescue, which provides for a seven-day search period that can be extended following a joint evaluation if signs of survivors emerge.

During the 53-day operation, Basarnas mobilized personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police, Transportation Ministry, local governments, regional disaster management agencies, health authorities, state-owned insurer Jasa Raharja, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), and other institutions.

Search teams used three main methods: aerial searches involving helicopters, Boeing and Cessna aircraft; surface searches using vessels operated by Basarnas, the Navy, the Transportation Ministry and other government agencies; and underwater searches conducted by divers from Basarnas, the Navy and the National Police.

Sudayana said the evaluation found no further indications of victims that would justify continuing surface searches.

Salvage operations to recover the wreckage remained underway but did not warrant reopening the search and rescue mission.

Although the operation has officially ended, Basarnas and other agencies will continue monitoring developments and act on credible information that could lead to further searches for victims.

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