KM Virgo Management Denies Alarm Was Off When Ship Began to Capsize

BANJARMASIN, KOMPAS.com - The management of PT Virgo Karya Shipping (VKS), owner of the KM Virgo Transport 8 vessel, met with several family members of the victims at Trisakti Port, Banjarmasin, on Friday afternoon (18/9/2026).

Representing PT VKS management was Simson F Rigi, the spokesperson for the ship owner.

Some passengers’ families questioned the ship’s alarm system, which was alleged to have failed in the moments the ship began to capsize.

"What about the alarm system, sir? Is it true it didn’t work, so our families didn’t have time to evacuate?" asked one family member.

Addressing the issue, Simson firmly denied the allegation. According to him, the ship’s warning system worked properly during the incident.

He explained that before the incident, the captain had already issued warnings and requested assistance by sending an emergency signal to Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency).

"If the captain hadn’t taken action to report and call for help from Basarnas and nearby vessels, the alarm wouldn’t have sounded," Simson told reporters following the meeting with passengers’ families on Friday (18/9/2026).

Once the emergency signal is sent, Simson added, the alarm automatically sounds.

However, since parts of the ship had already taken on water and started to sink gradually, it is likely that passengers did not hear the alarm.

"But because certain sections of the ship sank faster, the alarm couldn’t be heard, especially as conditions became chaotic. Once the ship fully sinks, the engine cuts out," Simson clarified.

Simson also denied claims that the ship was leaking while sailing.

According to the data provided by the company, the ship was fit to sail.

"The ship was 98 percent ready to sail. So there was no human error here. It was not leaking because if it were, the ship couldn’t have been righted," he concluded.