Dozens of members from the Indonesian Photojournalists Association\n(PFI) Solo, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), and the\nIndonesian Journalists Association (PWI) held a joint prayer session for\nfive photojournalists and three crew members who have been out of\ncontact in the waters of the Sunda Strait since 7 September, while\nreporting on the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.<\/p>\n
They held a prayer for safety and lit candles of hope for the\nvictims, who are currently still being searched for by the Joint\nBasarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency) Team in the Sunda Strait\nwaters. As of the time the action was organised by the PFI, AJI, and PWC\ncommunities, all victims remain missing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe search and rescue efforts on this seventh day are still ongoing\nand will continue for the next three days,\u201d said Yoma Riadi, chairman of\nPFI Solo.<\/p>\n
The solidarity movement and prayer hope that the Joint Basarnas Team,\nwhich continues to struggle to scour the surrounding area via sea and\nair fleets, can find a glimmer of hope in locating the victims.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us unite our prayers, ignite hope, and continue to believe that\nthey will soon return home safely,\u201d said Yoma, to which others\nagreed.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that within the framework of journalistic work, members\nof the press are called upon whenever an event needs to be known and\nprovided as accurate information to the global community. He added that\nthe decision to cover the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau was made by\nsenior colleagues who had carefully considered the situation they\nfaced.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the five senior photojournalists departed by hiring a\nboat and crew from local residents who are familiar with the\nenvironment. \u201cTherefore, this was through careful consideration,\u201d added\nthe Suara Merdeka photojournalist.<\/p>\n
During the emotional and moving action, journalists from the Solo\nRaya region expressed their hope that the five missing photojournalists\ncould still be saved. Several posters contained heartfelt prayers and\nmessages, such as: \u201cBest prayers for our colleagues who lost contact\nwhile performing journalistic duties at Mount Anak Krakatau,\u201d \u201cNo news\nis worth a life,\u201d and \u201cNo matter how far the waves carry you away, may\nthe currents of our prayers guide you back home.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was also a banner with the narrative: \u201cOur hands may not be\nable to reach you, but we continue to walk alongside you in prayer.\u201d\nThis action also serves as a collective reflection on the high safety\nrisks frequently faced by news seekers in disaster zones in order to\npresent accurate information to the public.<\/p>\n
The Joint SAR Team has expanded the search area for the five\njournalists and three citizens missing in the Sunda Strait towards the\nIndian Ocean, following the shift in sea currents. The search has been\nextended for the next three days after the seventh-day evaluation\nyielded no results. Foggy weather and the activity of Anak Krakatau\nremain the primary obstacles. The volcanic system in the Sunda Strait is\nhistorically divided into three main periods: Old Krakatoa, Young\nKrakatoa, and Anak Krakatau, which emerged gradually after the 1883\neruption. The development of field conditions will determine the\ncontinuity of the humanitarian operation. The Joint SAR Team has\ndiscovered life jackets and tarpaulins during the search for the eight\nmissing individuals.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/solo-journalists-hold-joint-prayer-for-five-missing-photojournalists-in-sunda-strait-1789404902", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }