JAKARTA — Indonesian rescue teams are searching for eight people, including five journalists, after their speedboat went missing near the Anak Krakatau volcano while they were covering its recent eruption.
The group lost contact after departing from Carita, a coastal town in Banten province, and heading towards the volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra.
Officials said the missing group includes five journalists, two crew members and a route guide.
Last contact received near the volcano
According to the Banten province Search and Rescue Office, the group’s last message was received at about 6.13pm on Monday.
The message indicated that the boat had reached waters near Anak Krakatau, approximately 18.5 kilometres from shore.
No further contact has been made since.
Rescue teams began searching on Tuesday but had yet to establish contact with the group or determine their whereabouts.
Journalists were covering the eruption
The five journalists were travelling to report on the latest eruption of Anak Krakatau.
They represented a mix of Indonesian and international media organisations, including Indonesia’s state news agency Antara and Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, along with other media outlets.
The disappearance comes as authorities continue to closely monitor Anak Krakatau following days of significant volcanic activity.
Volcano continues to show activity
Although the initial major eruption ended on Sunday, Anak Krakatau has continued to erupt intermittently.
Officials have reported further explosions that sent lava, ash and incandescent volcanic material from the crater.
The volcano erupted several more times on Tuesday, although those eruptions were smaller than the earlier activity that caused widespread disruption.
Eruption caused major travel disruption
The volcanic ash forced the temporary closure of eight Indonesian airports, including Jakarta’s main Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Nearly 2,961 flights were disrupted, affecting about 341,000 passengers.
The airports have since reopened after winds helped clear the ash, but authorities warned that continued volcanic activity could cause further disruptions depending on wind conditions and the height of future ash clouds.
Schools shifted to online learning
The Indonesian government also allowed schools in areas affected by volcanic ash to temporarily shift to online learning.
The move was aimed at reducing students’ exposure to ash as authorities continued monitoring air quality and volcanic activity.
Residents, tourists and fishermen have been advised to remain at least three kilometres away from Anak Krakatau’s active crater.
A volcano with a deadly history
Anak Krakatau, which means “Child of Krakatau”, emerged from the remains of the original Krakatau volcano.
The massive 1883 eruption of Krakatau was one of the deadliest volcanic disasters in history and triggered devastating tsunamis.
Anak Krakatau itself also has a dangerous recent history.
In 2018, an eruption and collapse involving the volcano triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people along the coasts of Java and Sumatra.
Search continues
Indonesian rescuers are continuing efforts to locate the missing boat and all eight people on board.
The search comes amid challenging conditions near the active volcano and in the Sunda Strait.
The five journalists, two crew members and guide had been travelling to document one of Indonesia’s latest volcanic emergencies. Now, the mission to report on the eruption has turned into a major search-and-rescue operation.
The bottom line
Indonesian authorities are searching for eight people, including five journalists, after their speedboat disappeared near Anak Krakatau while they were covering the volcano’s recent eruption.
The group last made contact on Monday evening after reaching waters near the volcano.
With Anak Krakatau still showing intermittent activity, rescuers continue searching the Sunda Strait for any sign of the missing boat and its passengers.
The search remains ongoing as authorities race to locate the group near one of Indonesia’s most closely watched and historically dangerous volcanoes.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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