Five journalists among eight missing after Indonesia volcano mission

Indonesian rescue teams were searching for eight people, including five journalists, who disappeared while travelling by speedboat to cover the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.

The group left an area near Jakarta on the afternoon of September 7. The national rescue agency said they had not returned and that the boat owner had received no information from the crew. The journalists were assigned to photograph and film the eruption, which had paralysed several airports and covered Jakarta and neighbouring cities in volcanic ash since September 5.

The passengers included journalists working for local and international media, among them Indonesia’s Antara news agency, Turkey’s Anadolu agency, and the local website iNews. One journalist contacted a colleague and shared his location at 3 p.m. on September 7, but there had been no further contact, the rescue agency said.

The boat carried five journalists, two crew members, and a guide. Rescuers, police, and the speedboat company joined the search. Antara confirmed that its photographer, Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas, was among those aboard and said it was coordinating with authorities.

The head of the local search and rescue agency, Al Amrad, said the operation had been halted for the day and would resume on the morning of September 9. Police told Antara that high waves and poor visibility were obstructing the search.

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Until now they have not returned, and the boat owner has not received any information from the crew.