Antara Dispatches Team to Search for Journalists Missing During Anak Krakatau Coverage
Antara News Agency is coordinating with Basarnas, the Banten Regional Police, and relevant agencies to search for five photojournalists who lost contact while covering the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait waters, Banten. Antara has dispatched a special team to accelerate the search for the five journalists.
Antara President Director Benny Siga Butarbutar stated that his office has sent a special team consisting of personnel from the head office and the Banten Bureau to ensure that communication and coordination regarding the search continue effectively.
“At this time, we have also dispatched a special Antara team, comprising members from Antara headquarters and the Banten Bureau, to ensure that all communication and coordination efforts remain continuous. We are also pushing for officers to increase the intensity of the search for the group of journalists whose whereabouts remain unknown at this time,” said Benny, as reported by Antara on Tuesday (8/9/2026).
One of the journalists whose whereabouts are still unknown is Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas, a photojournalist from the Antara Banten Bureau. As of Tuesday (8/9) evening, Antara has not received news regarding Bagus or the rest of the group.
Benny noted that Antara has also established a media alert post in collaboration with iNews and merdeka.com to strengthen coordination and communication regarding the progress of the search.
These efforts are being undertaken to ensure that information regarding the journalists’ whereabouts can be promptly obtained from authorised sources, while simultaneously preventing the spread of unverified information.
Meanwhile, Banten Regional Police Chief Inspector General Hengki stated that his department, alongside the Marine and Air Police (Polairud), Basarnas, and the TNI, has been conducting joint search operations since receiving information regarding the loss of contact with the journalists. However, natural conditions have become a significant obstacle to the search operation, particularly high waves and limited visibility.
According to Antara’s records, Bagus had been covering the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait waters since Monday (7/9) alongside four other photojournalists: Arie Basuki from merdeka.com, Donal Husni, a freelance photographer, Yudhistira from iNews, and Daus from Anadolu.
Antara will continue to coordinate with authorities and relevant parties to obtain updates on the search and to convey information based on verified data.
Antara also urges all parties not to spread speculative information regarding the whereabouts of the journalists still being searched for. Benny expressed hope that all search efforts proceed smoothly and that the journalists are found soon.