Eruption spotted at Mount Anak Krakatau on September 6, 2026, taken from the nearest water. (Pemprov Lampung)
On September 7, authorities in Indonesia are continuing a search for five journalists and three crew members who have been missing in the Sunda Strait. after their boat lost contact while they were reporting on activity at Mount Anak Krakatau.
The group travelled aboard the Arupadhatu 1 speedboat, which left Pagedongan Pier in Pandeglang, Banten. Their intended destination was the waters around Mount Anak Krakatau, where they were covering the volcano’s activity.
Among those on board were M Bagus Khoirunnas, a journalist with the Antara news agency’s Banten bureau; Ari Basuki from Merdeka.com; Yudhis of iNews; Daus, who works for Anadolu; and freelance journalist Donal Husni. The vessel was also carrying its captain, Warta, 55, crew member Surakman, 60, and guide Heriyanto, 49.
Concern over the group’s whereabouts was raised the following day. On September 8, Bayu, another Antara journalist, contacted the Banten Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas) after failing to reach his colleagues. A search operation was launched shortly afterwards. The Pandeglang SAR standby unit first gathered information at the speedboat’s departure point before sending a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) into the Sunda Strait at around 2.15pm.
The last suspected position of the missing vessel is believed to be approximately 9.98 nautical miles from RIB 02 BTN. According to search authorities, reaching the area takes roughly 40 minutes by boat. As of September 9, there had been no confirmed sighting of the journalists, crew or vessel. Search and rescue personnel remain deployed in the Sunda Strait, with efforts to locate the group still under way.
About The Author
