Recurring Maritime Accidents: Are Shipping Operators Heeding BMKG Weather Warnings?

Recurring Maritime Accidents: Are Shipping Operators Heeding BMKG Weather Warnings?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Another maritime accident has occurred. The latest involved the KMP Virgo Transport 8 in the Java Sea waters on Sunday (9/13/2026) at around 2:00 AM Central Indonesia Time.

Initial suspicions indicate the ship capsized due to high waves caused by bad weather.

The crew reportedly communicated the deteriorating weather conditions and a shift in the ship’s center of gravity to the company before the signal was lost.

"As for the initial assumption, this is still preliminary. It was due to bad weather and waves. According to Basarnas reports, the wave height was about 1.5 to 2.5 meters," said General Manager of PT Virgo Karya Shipping, Yoel Rihi, on Monday (9/14/2026).

Member of Ombudsman Indonesia, Robert Na Endi Jaweng, stated that the KMP Virgo Transport 8 accident highlights the critical importance of paying close attention to weather data in maritime operations.

He acknowledged that weather can change rapidly, but in public service, weather cannot be used as an excuse to shirk the operators’ responsibility for passenger safety.

According to him, the issue of accidents should be examined closely to determine whether operators, captains, and regulators actually use weather information from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) as a basis before sailing.

"BMKG information must be part of the decision-making process. We need to see if operators, captains, and regulators truly rely on that data to decide whether a vessel is fit and safe to depart," Robert told Kompas.com on Monday (9/14/2026).

Robert said the government needs to evaluate cases where ships sail without taking adequate precautions when bad weather warnings have been issued but ignored.

Passengers, he noted, cannot judge technical and weather risks themselves.

The state and operators must ensure that the public is protected from preventable risks.

"If a ship departs without sufficient precautionary measures, that should be evaluated. Conversely, if conditions deteriorate unexpectedly, we cannot immediately conclude negligence. This must be proven through investigation," he stressed.

Similarly, member of the Indonesian Disaster Experts Association (IABI), Daryono, reminded that captains must constantly monitor official weather updates issued by BMKG.

This is in accordance with international navigation safety regulations and government maritime rules.

"Supervision is not limited to weather conditions at departure but requires continuous monitoring along the entire route," he said.