Rough Weather Hampers Search for Survivors From Lost Indonesian Ferry
Rough surface conditions have disrupted the ongoing operation to look for survivors of the ferry Virgo Transport 8, which capsized on Sunday and gradually sank. The wreck lies in 30 meters of water in the middle of the Java Sea, south of Borneo.
A total of 108 survivors from the wreck have been rescued out of 243 who were aboard at departure. 129 people remain missing, according to Indonesian coast guard agency Basarnas. Search operations continue at massive scale: fully 17 vessels, 10 aircraft and more than 1,000 personnel are involved in scouring the area.
Dive search operations at the wreck have yet to begin because of rough weather conditions on scene. Wave heights are running in the range of eight feet, prohibitive for diving. The water depth is well within the capabilities of salvage and rescue divers, but the wreck's position on the seafloor is currently unstable, Basarnas commanding officer Mohammad Syafii told Reuters. The ship was afloat upside-down after the initial casualty, and it came to rest on the bottom in the same position - creating a risk that it might shift or topple over. The Indonesian Navy will have a salvage vessel with an ROV on board to support initial search operations without risk to human divers.
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The rough weather has also had an impact on the transfer and transport operation for survivors. 22 people who were rescued by a wooden fishing vessel, the Cahaya Bahari, have been delayed in their return to port because of the difficulty in conducting ship-to-ship transfers, Syafii told Antara News. Higher-than-usual waves on the Java Sea have increased risk for routine salvage: two vessels collided during an attempted personnel transfer due to wave action, causing damage. A small boat had to be used to effect the transfer instead, slowing the operation down. After transfer from Cahaya Bahari to the receiving ship - the Indonesian Navy's corvette KRI Nala - the survivors then transferred one more time to the smaller vessel Kumai, which could enter the small port of Banjarmasin.
Virgo Transport 8 likely capsized after it was hit by a large wave, authorities believe. Overloading was not likely a contributing factor, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said at a press conference Monday. The vessel was rated for a capacity of 500 people and had less than half that number on board.
