Banten Governor Hopes Search Operation for 5 Journalists and 3 Crew Members Will be Extended

Pandeglang, VIVA – The Governor of Banten, Andra Soni, expressed his hope that the Search and Rescue (SAR) operation for five journalists and three crew members, who lost contact in the waters of the Sunda Strait, will be extended if they are not found by the seventh day, Monday, 14 September.

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

He added that this hope is shared by the families of the victims. Therefore, he requested that Basarnas (the National Search and Rescue Agency) consider extending the operation by evaluating the various potentials and findings obtained during the several days of searching.

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

Andra Soni stated that the Banten Provincial Government will continue to provide maximum support for the SAR operation involving the eight individuals.

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

He invited the Indonesian public to pray that the five journalists and three crew members currently being searched for can be found safe.

“We ask for the prayers of the entire Indonesian people so that our colleagues can be found in a safe condition,” he added.

The eight individuals currently being sought departed via a speedboat from Pegedongan Pier, Carita, Pandeglang Regency, on Monday, 7 September, at approximately 14:00 WIB, heading towards the Mount Anak Krakatau 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 continues the search for the eight individuals and is evaluating every finding that could potentially provide clues regarding their whereabouts.