Banten Governor Hopes SAR Operation for Eight Missing Residents Will Be Extended

Pandeglang (ANTARA) - Banten Governor Andra Soni hopes that the Search and Rescue (SAR) operation for eight residents who lost contact in the waters of the Sunda Strait can be extended if they are not found by the seventh day, Monday (14/9).

“My hope is to maximise the search and extend the search duration,” said Andra Soni in Pandeglang, Banten, on Sunday.

“In discussions with the victims’ families, there is a great hope from the families that if they are not found by the seventh day, the SAR operation can be extended,” he added.

Andra Soni stated that the Banten Provincial Government will continue to provide maximum support for the implementation of the SAR operation for the eight residents.

“The Banten Provincial Government is striving to provide the best and maximum support, including considering an extension of the SAR operation time in accordance with applicable procedures,” he said.

He called upon the Indonesian public to pray that the eight individuals still being searched for can be found safely.

“We request prayers from all the people of Indonesia so that our comrades can be found in a safe condition,” he said.

The eight individuals currently being sought departed via a speedboat from Pegedongan Pier, Caruna, Pandeglang Regency, on Monday (7/9) at approximately 14:00 WIB, heading towards the Anak Krakatau volcano area.

Five of them are journalists, namely M. Bagus Khoirunnas from ANTARA, Ari Basuki from Merdeka, Yudhistiro Pranoto from iNews, Firman Daus from Anadolu, and Donal Husni, a freelance journalist.

The other three are Warta, the captain; Surakman, a crew member; and Heriyanto, a guide.

The Joint SAR Team is continuing the search for the eight individuals and is evaluating every finding that could potentially provide clues regarding their whereabouts.