Arab Gulf Leaders Offer Condolences to Indonesia After Virgo Transport 8 Sinking - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several friendly nations from the Arabian Peninsula have expressed their condolences to the people and Government of Indonesia regarding the sinking of the KMP Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea, Indonesia, a tragedy that resulted in hundreds of casualties—including injuries, fatalities, and missing persons.
King Salman of Saudi Arabia, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), conveyed his condolences directly to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
"In his statement, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques expressed deep condolences and sympathy to the President of Indonesia, the families of the victims, and the Indonesian people," according to SPA report monitored on Monday and cited by Antara.
Condolences were also conveyed to President Prabowo by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Additionally, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, extended his condolences to President Prabowo on Friday (September 26), as reported by the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
In the statement, Sheikh Tamim expressed solidarity with the victims of the KMP Virgo Transport 8 sinking and wished for the speedy recovery of all those injured.
QNA reported that the Deputy Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani, as well as Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, also sent similar messages to President Prabowo and the people of Indonesia.
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman also conveyed his condolences to President Prabowo regarding the sinking of the vessel in the Java Sea.
"In his message, His Majesty expressed deep sympathy to President Prabowo, the Indonesian people, and the victims' families, and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured," reported the Oman News Agency.
The KMP Virgo Transport 8 reportedly lost contact in the waters of Masalembo in the Java Sea on September 13 at approximately 02:00 WITA (Central Indonesian Time), before it was subsequently confirmed to have sunk. The ill-fated vessel, carrying 243 passengers and crew, sank while en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
According to data from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) as of Saturday (Sept. 26) at 7:00 PM Central Indonesian Time (WITA), 172 of the 243 people on board have been accounted for—comprising 108 survivors and 64 fatalities—while 71 individuals remain missing.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has confirmed that the joint search and rescue (SAR) operation for the victims of KMP Virgo Transport 8 will continue, prioritizing inter-agency synergy, the effectiveness of search and evacuation efforts, and the safety of all personnel involved.
