Anak Krakatau: Prabowo Orders Search For Missing Journalists, 3 Warships Deployed

By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil

JAKARTA, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has ordered a search for five journalists and three boat crew who lost contact while covering the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, with 11 vessels, including three warships, deployed in an urgent race to locate them.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said Prabowo issued the instruction to the Navy Chief of Staff  immediately after receiving a report that the group had lost contact on Monday night while covering the volcanic activity around Sebesi Island in Lampung near Anak Krakatau.

The five journalists are Muhammad Bagus Khoirunnas of Indonesia's national news agency Antara, Firdaus Wajidi of Turkiye's Anadolu Agency, Arie Basuki of news portal Merdeka.com, Yudistiro Pranoto of iNews and freelance journalist Donal Husni.

They were travelling with boat crew Warta, Surakman and Heriyanto when contact was lost.

Teddy said 11 vessels from various agencies were involved in the ongoing search for the eight missing people, including the three warships -- KRI Leuser-924, KRI Kerambit-627 and KRI Lepu-861 -- as well as other naval and search-and-rescue vessels.

“The search remains focused on locating all eight,” he said  in a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat's Press, Media and Information Bureau (BPMI Setpres) late Thursday, expressing hope they would be found safe.

Anak Krakatau, in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, remains at Level III, the second-highest alert level, after a prolonged eruption began on Sept 4.

Further eruptions subsequently spread volcanic ash across parts of western Indonesia and disrupted flights at several airports, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia's largest and busiest airport.

-- BERNAMA