Fact Check: Do These Photos Show Virgo Transport 8 Survivors Adrift at Sea? - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A photo collage purportedly showing the sinking of the Motor Vessel (MV) Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea has been circulating on social media. The content was posted by Account 1 [archive], Account 2, and Account 3 on Facebook starting on September 13, 2026. The photos show a number of passengers and crew members adrift at sea wearing orange life jackets. Debris from the ship and their personal belongings can be seen scattered around them.
Do these photos truly depict survivors of the Virgo Transport 8 adrift at sea?
Tempo verified the content using reverse image searches and confirmation from credible sources. The results reveal that the photo collage actually shows victims of the KM Cahaya Intan Celebes accident, which occurred on February 14, 2026.
The three photos in the collage match footage from broadcasts by Antara, Kompas, and Berita Satu aired on Saturday, February 14, 2026. The photos show victims of the KM Cahaya Intan Celebes, which sank in the waters off Poleang, Bombana Regency, Southeast Sulawesi.
Meanwhile, the video footage of passengers adrift is also part of the KM Cahaya Intan Celebes incident. The video matches the broadcasts by Antara, iNews, MetroTV, and KompasTV.
Citing Antara, Wahyudi, a spokesperson for the Kendari Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), explained that the incident occurred around 09:00 WITA (Central Indonesian Time). The vessel had departed from Bajoe Port in Bone City, heading for Boepinang Port in Bombana. En route, a hull breach allowed seawater to enter the vessel.
“The passengers and crew were successfully rescued by fishermen in the vicinity. All of them were evacuated to the Boepinang Community Health Center in Bombana,” said Wahyudi.
The motor vessel Virgo Transport 8 reportedly encountered an emergency due to bad weather and lost contact on Sunday, September 13, 2026, around 02:00 WITA. The vessel's last known position was detected in the Java Sea, approximately 80 nautical miles from the Basirih SAR Pier in Banjarmasin.
The vessel had been sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin with 243 passengers on board since Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 10:13 GMT. I Putu Sudayana, Head of the Banjarmasin Class A Search and Rescue Office, stated on Sunday, September 13, 2026, that 103 passengers had been successfully evacuated, with six fatalities among them.
“Meanwhile, a search is still underway for the remaining 140 people,” said Putu. The police have established a help desk for passengers' families at Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya. Tanjung Perak Port Police Chief AKBP Irwan Kurniawan stated that the post serves as a coordination center for search-related information.
Tempo’s verification concludes that the photo collage—purportedly showing victims of the Virgo Transport 8 vessel adrift at sea—is false information.
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