September 22, 2026 | 06:59 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The death toll from the sinking of the KM Virgo Transport 8 has risen to 18, according to data from Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) as of Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, head of the Public Information Bureau at the Indonesian National Police headquarters, said nine of the victims had been identified and handed over to their families, while the remaining nine were still undergoing identification.
“Nine victims have been identified and handed over to their families, while the other nine are still undergoing identification,” Trunoyudo said in an official statement.
The Indonesian National Police, through its Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team, has stepped up efforts to identify victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8, which sank in waters off Masalembu in the Java Sea.
Of the 243 people listed on the passenger manifest, 126 have been found, including 108 survivors and 18 people who died. Another 117 people remain missing.
Trunoyudo said each recovered body would be handled by the DVI team through an identification process that compares ante-mortem data collected from families with post-mortem data obtained from examinations of the bodies.
“The National Police, through DVI, continues to provide identification services for victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8. Each victim found undergoes an identification process based on ante-mortem and post-mortem data. Once the victim’s identity is confirmed, the body is immediately handed over to the family,” he said.
To support the process, police are collecting ante-mortem data from victims’ families and DNA samples to be used as reference material. The examination may include medical records, fingerprints, dental records, personal belongings and DNA testing when necessary.
Trunoyudo said the identification process was being conducted carefully to ensure the victims’ identities were confirmed before their bodies were returned to their families.
“The National Police continues to ensure that every piece of data is carefully examined and matched so that the identity of each victim can be confirmed before the body is handed over to the family,” he said.
Meanwhile, a joint SAR team continued its search for those still missing. Three bodies were found by a team of divers on Tuesday morning. The bodies were evacuated and will undergo identification.
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