After Mass-Casualty Capsizing, Lawmaker Calls for a Look at Ferry's Age
More than 120 people disappeared when the lost ferry Virgo Transport 8 capsized on September 13 in the Java Sea, and an investigation into the circumstances of the casualty is well under way. Early lines of inquiry include a review of its registration status: the ship had been flagged into the domestic Indonesian fleet very recently, and was of an advanced age for approval for the country's coastwise ferry routes.
Virgo Transport 8 (IMO 8625179) was built in 1987 and served in Japanese trade under a previous name. Before-and-after photos provided by VesselFinder show that she underwent significant hull modifications on the starboard side when she transferred to Indonesian service, including the addition of two side-mounted ro/ro ramps near the bow and the stern.
Indonesia's ministry of trade used to have a standing regulation that restricted importation of passenger vessels to hulls that were 15 years of age or less, lawmaker Sofwan Dedy Ardyanto noted in a social media post this week. Virgo Transport 8 was more than twice as old as this limit - but the limit might not have applied. The strict age regulation took effect in 2021 but was superseded by a new, looser set of rules in March 2024.
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Based on public PSC records, Virgo Transport 8 took on her current name in June 2025 and entered the Indonesian flag registry in March 2026, well after the local regulations changed. Ardyanto encouraged the authorities to determine whether the rules were followed at the time that the vessel was brought into the country.
As a practical matter, it is not yet known if age played any role in the casualty, officials told Antara. Early reports indicate that the vessel was hit by a large wave and capsized.
