Family of Journalists Missing in Sunda Strait Hopes Search Operation Will Be Extended
The family of Antara journalist M. Bagus Khoirunnas, who went missing in the waters of the Sunda Strait, hopes that the search operation for the victims of the Arupadhatu 1 speedboat accident will be extended. The search for the five journalists and three crew members entered its tenth day, marking the final day of the previously extended operation.
Bagus’s father, Mansur, stated that the family hopes the SAR (Search and Rescue) team will re-evaluate areas that have not yet been reached during the search. He expressed hope that all victims, including Bagus and the crew, could be found.
“Personally, I hope it will be continued. An evaluation of everywhere that has not been reached,” Mansur told reporters on Thursday (17/9).
Mansur noted that the search by the SAR team has covered a vast area, including Enggano Island and the Indian Ocean waters. “Hopefully, on this tenth day, everyone—both the journalists and the crew—can be found in good health,” he said.
The family has not yet received information regarding the results of Basarnas’s evaluation concerning the continuation of the search operation. Regarding a formal application to extend the search, he stated that the family has not yet reached a decision and will first coordinate with the other families of the missing victims.
Currently, Mansur said the family is monitoring the progress of the search daily, even though there has been no breakthrough by the tenth day. He expressed his appreciation to all personnel involved in the SAR operation and hoped that members of Basarnas, the Navy, volunteers, and other elements could carry out the search safely.
Basarnas has confirmed that a green tarp found in the Sunda Strait does not belong to the missing KM Arupadhatu 1. The search area on the ninth day covered 3,439 nautical miles squared, while the search area has now been expanded to 8,509 nautical miles squared as of the tenth day.
The Joint SAR Team has adjusted the search area for the Arupadhatu 1 speedboat in the Sunda Strait to 3,962 nautical miles based on the latest sea current modelling, and has further expanded the search for the five journalists and three missing individuals into the Indian Ocean following shifts in sea currents.