Jakarta. Five journalists have been reported missing after losing contact while covering volcanic activity at Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait off Pandeglang, Banten, authorities said.

The journalists — M. Bagus Khoirunnas of Antara, Ari Basuki of Merdeka, Yudhis of iNews, Daus of Anadolu, and freelance journalist Donal — departed from Pagedongan Pier in Carita, Pandeglang, by speedboat at about 2 p.m. on Monday.

They were accompanied by two boat crew members, whose identities were still being verified. At least seven people are therefore included in the ongoing search operation.

Rizki Dwianto, head of operations and standby at the Banten Search and Rescue Office, confirmed the report.

According to the initial SAR report, the group last communicated with a journalist in Lampung at about 2:42 p.m. Monday. One member of the group also sent a location pin before contact was lost at about 3:04 p.m.

The incident was subsequently reported to the Banten SAR office, which launched a search operation.

As of Tuesday afternoon, rescuers had yet to establish contact with the group or determine their whereabouts.

Unconfirmed reports circulated among journalists that the five had been found at Paku Port. Basarnas Banten denied the reports, saying it had neither found the group nor issued any statement confirming their discovery.

“Not found. We have not issued any information that the victims have been found. As of now, we have no information regarding their discovery,” Rizki said by phone on Tuesday.

He urged the public and journalists not to circulate unverified information, warning that it could cause confusion and concern among the families and colleagues of those missing.

SAR Team Searches Sunda Strait

Basarnas Banten has deployed a rescue team from its Pandeglang SAR standby unit to search the area believed to be the group’s last known location. The team is coordinating with the Pandeglang Water and Air Police unit in the operation.

Rescuers are using a rigid inflatable boat to reach the search coordinates.

The initial location provided to rescuers was about 9.98 nautical miles from the group’s departure point. Search operations were conducted under partly cloudy conditions, with waves ranging from 0.4 to 1 meter.

The team was searching the waters around the group’s last known communication point, including areas near Sebesi Island and Mount Anak Krakatau.

The search for the five journalists and two crew members was still underway as of Tuesday afternoon, with no official confirmation that any of the seven had been found.

Authorities have urged the public and the families of those missing to rely on updates from Basarnas and the joint SAR team for confirmed information on the operation

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