Rescue teams in Indonesia recovered three bodies from a capsized ferry as they prepared to salvage the wreckage, bringing the confirmed death toll to nine, with 126 people still missing, officials announced on Friday. Divers entered the Virgo Transport 8 and retrieved the bodies five days after the vessel sank in adverse weather conditions last Sunday. The death toll now stands at nine, with 108 individuals rescued on the day of the incident.
Approximately 60 divers, part of a team of 1,100 personnel working in 12-hour shifts on 17 ships and 5 aircraft, faced high-risk challenges that have hampered progress and heightened the distress of friends and family members.
The ferry, weighing 3,880 tonnes, capsized about 800 kilometers northeast of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, during a scheduled 20-hour journey from Surabaya in East Java province to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
Despite the time elapsed since the ferry capsized, the operation remains a rescue mission due to the potential presence of survivors trapped in sealed compartments. The national rescue agency reported that the currents at the site originally exceeded safe diving limits but have since decreased, allowing navy divers to approach and enter the ship.
Rescue efforts have been complicated by 2.5-meter waves and strong winds near the vessel. The ferry drifted about 1.8 nautical miles post-accident before sinking in the Java Sea, which is between 40 and 50 meters deep.
The design of the Virgo Transport 8, a “roll-on/roll-off” vessel constructed in Japan in 1987, with a capacity for 89 vehicles, has posed challenges for accessing the ship’s interior. The enclosed layout of the ship, unlike traditional passenger vessels, has made entry difficult for rescue teams.
As efforts to salvage the vessel proceed, divers must navigate flooded compartments with limited visibility, potentially encountering sealed air pockets that pose risks to both divers and any survivors present. The search for missing individuals will continue for at least a week, emphasizing the importance of maintaining hope for potential survivors amidst the grim circumstances.
