Jepara Resident Survives KM Virgo Disaster After Being Thrown into the Sea, Newlywed Wife Awaits His Return
JEPARA, KOMPAS.com - Abdul Kholeq (25), a resident of Jepara, is among the survivors of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident in the Masalembo Waters, Java Sea.
Kholeq survived after being thrown into the sea when the ship he was aboard suffered an accident in the early hours of Sunday (13/9/2026).
After battling high waves, he managed to climb onto a lifeboat along with 11 other passengers.
At home, his wife, Lutfi Dwi Adis Krisnawati (23), is still waiting for his return.
The couple had just recently married before Kholeq departed carrying furniture cargo from Jepara to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.
However, as of Thursday (17/9/2026), Adis has yet to see her husband in person. Kholeq remains under medical care in Banjarmasin due to a leg injury.
Kholeq left Jepara with his nephew, Ilham Mukhamad Rojab (21), on Friday (11/9/2026) afternoon.
They transported furniture products using a truck to Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya. From there, Kholeq and Ilham continued their journey on KM Virgo Transport 8 heading to Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin.
The ship began sailing on Saturday (12/9/2026) morning. At the time of the incident, the ship was said to be nearing its destination port.
βAt that time, the ship hadnβt reached the destination port yet, but it was close to Banjarmasin, about five hours from docking. Suddenly, the incident happened at midnight,β Kholeq said via a video call with Jepara Deputy Regent Muhammad Ibnu Hajar, as quoted from Tribun Jateng on Friday (18/9/2026).
Kholeq awoke around 1 a.m. local time after hearing someone shout that the ship was tilting.
He then woke Ilham and a driver from Jepara, Mashudi, who were in the same room.
Kholeq also grabbed three life jackets following instructions from the shipβs crew.
He wore one life jacket himself, while giving the other two to Ilham and Mashudi.
The three then tried to exit the room. However, Ilham and Mashudi remained onboard as they were securing the truckβs ropes.
