Indonesian rescuers to right capsized ship as weather hampers search

JAKARTA: Indonesian rescuers intend to attempt to correct a passenger ship that capsized in the Java Sea last weekend as strong currents and towering waves hinder an underwater search for the 129 individuals still missing. The Virgo Transport 8, carrying 243 people on a 20-hour voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, capsized in adverse weather conditions early Sunday.

Six lives were lost and 108 survived, figures that have remained unchanged since the incident occurred. The national rescue agency and Indonesian Navy will evaluate on Thursday whether to right the capsized ship, including determining required equipment, according to Mohammad Syafii, the agency's chief, during a press conference on Wednesday.

The plan involves salvaging the vessel by turning it upright and conducting the search and evacuation once deemed complete, with the ship subsequently towed away for investigation. Local and foreign experts have been consulted. While turning the ship upright typically takes about 24 hours, complications could extend the process.

On Wednesday, two Navy teams initiated an underwater search but withdrew due to a current moving at nearly 7 knots, Syafii stated, noting that diving is advisable only when the current is below 1.5 knots. Evidence gathered during the dives will be provided to the National Transportation Safety Committee, which is probing the incident, without further details.

Air and sea surface searches on Wednesday also yielded no sign of the remaining 129 people, according to Syafii. Similar searches are scheduled for Thursday. The vessel capsized approximately 80 nautical miles (150km) from Banjarmasin port and has since drifted around 450 meters (1,500 feet), now situated in waters around 29 meters deep.

Under Indonesia's Maritime Law, the ship's owner must remove or tow the vessel if it obstructs shipping lanes, Syafii added.