Five journalists missing while covering Mount Anak Krakatau activity; chronology revealed
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Five journalists have been reported missing after losing contact while covering volcanic activity at Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait waters, Banten. As of Wednesday (9/9), a joint SAR (Search and Rescue) team is still conducting searches for the entire group.
The incident began when the group of journalists departed via speedboat from Pagedongan Pier, Carita, Pandeglang Regency, Banten, on Monday (7/9) at approximately 14:00 WIB. They were heading towards the Mount Anak Krakatau area to report on volcanic activity in the region.
According to information from the Banten SAR Office, the journey from Carita to the reporting area is estimated to take about two hours. However, communication with the group was lost shortly after the boat departed.
Chronology of the five missing journalists
At approximately 1t4:42 WIB, one member of the group managed to send a location share to a journalist in Lampung. The last known position was between Carita and Mount Anak Krakatau.
At approximately 15:04 WIB, communication with the group was severed. The Banten SAR Office subsequently received reports regarding the loss of contact with the vessel carrying the journalists.
The SAR team then conducted searches along the route from Carita to Mount Anak Krakatau. During the first day of the search operation, the team swept the areas around Krakatau Island and Pulau Panjang, but has yet to find the boat or any signs of the group’s whereabouts.
List of the five missing journalists
The five journalists on board the speedboat have been identified as:
M. Bagus Khoirunnas, photojournalist for Antara News Agency.
Ari Basuki, photojournalist for Merdeka.com.
Yudistiro Pranoto, photojournalist for iNews.id.
Firman Daus, journalist for Anadolu Agency.
Donal Husni, freelance photojournalist.
In addition to the five journalists, there were three other individuals on the boat: the captain, a crew member, and a guide. Consequently, a total of eight people are currently being searched for, according to the latest data compiled from the Banten SAR Office.
As the search on Tuesday (8/9) yielded no results, the SAR operation continued on Wednesday (9/9). The team has expanded the search area by deploying the KN SAR Tatuka vessel and a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) from Banten.
The search is also supported by water SAR, medical, and communication equipment, involving personnel from Basarnas and the Banten Regional Police Water Police (Polairud). The team is sweeping the area based on the group’s travel route and their last known communication point.
The search operation is being conducted with careful consideration of the active state of Mount Anak Krakatau. The SAR team must remain cautious as volcanic activity can change at any time and potentially release eruptive material.
Condition of the boat before departure
The owner of the speedboat, Sandi Wiasa, stated that the vessel used by the group was in seaworthy condition. The boat was reported to have proper documentation and was equipped with life jackets when it departed from Pagedongan Pier, Carita.
As of the latest update on Wednesday (9/9/2026), the five journalists and three others remain missing and have not yet been found. The search operation continues, with the joint SAR team expanding the sweeping area across the Sunda Strait waters.
Updates on the condition of the journalists are pending the results of the ongoing search and official statements from the SAR team on the ground.