Banten Regional Police Deploy Team to Search for Journalists Missing in Sunda Strait
Banten Regional Police Chief, Inspector General Hengki, stated that a joint team is continuing the search for the speedboat carrying a group of journalists, including an ANTara News photographer, who lost contact in the Sunda Strait.
The vessel reportedly lost contact while the group was conducting coverage of the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption in the waters of Pandeglang Regency, Banten, Hengki said during a telephone conversation with the President Director of LKBN ANTARA, Benny Siga Butarbutar, in Jakarta on Tuesday night.
Hengki noted that the search operation was temporarily suspended because the weather and waves posed a significant danger. The search involves the Water and Air Police Directorate (Ditpolairud) of the Banten Regional Police, the National Police Water and Air Police Corps (Korpolairud Baharkam Polri), Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency), the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces), and an integrated disaster management team.
“The search has commenced with our Water Police, Basarnas, and the integrated disaster management team; everyone is assisting in the search,” said Hengki. The Police Chief added that the whereabouts of the group could not yet be confirmed following the loss of contact, and teams are still gathering information to ascertain their condition.
Hengki explained that while teams had begun searching, the operation was halted towards nightfall due to deteriorating weather conditions, including high waves and strong winds. He also requested that any new information regarding the missing persons be coordinated immediately to ensure the search process is based on accurate data.
Meanwhile, the Director of Water and Air Police of the Banten Regional Police, Commissioner Eko Hartanto, stated that the search will resume on Wednesday morning (9/9) involving Basarnas vessels and other elements. He noted that a Basarnas vessel approximately 40 metres in length would be used as it is more capable of supporting the search amidst the risky maritime conditions.
According to him, the joint team previously searched around eight miles from Carita Beach. However, limited visibility, high waves, and volcanic eruption activity forced the vessels to return to port. “Visibility was only one mile. There was an eruption, and the waves were also high,” he said.
According to reports from the Banten SAR Office, the speedboat carrying the journalists departed from Pagedongan Pier, Carita, on Monday (7/9) at 14:00 WIB to cover the activity of Mount Anak Krakatau. The last recorded communication showed the victims sent their current location to a fellow journalist in Lampung at 14:42 WIB, but they subsequently lost contact at 15:04 WIB at the coordinates 6°14’40.52”S and 105°40’49.48”E.
Head of the Banten SAR Office, Al Amrad, stated that as of Tuesday evening at 18:15 WIB, the teams had searched as far as Krakatau Island and Panjang Island with no results. The search operation is scheduled to continue on Wednesday morning. The Banten SAR Office has deployed the KN SAR Tatuka and Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIB) equipped with water rescue, medical, and communication equipment, working alongside the Banten Water and Air Police.
“The plan for tomorrow is to expand the search area, as today we studied the route from Carita to Mount Anak Krakatau,” he said.
Preliminary data from Basarnas indicates that at least seven people are being sought, including ANTARA news photographer M. Bagus Khoirunnas, Ari Basuki (Merdeka), Yudhis (iNews), Daus (Anadolu), Donal (freelance), and two others who are still being processed in the records.