Eight People Missing in Sunda Strait During Mount Anak Krakatau Mission

Eight people, including five journalists and two crew members, remain missing in the Sunda Strait after losing contact while traveling by speedboat to cover volcanic activity at Mount Anak Krakatau.

Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian archipelago, due in part to lax safety standards and inclement weather. In January, three Spanish tourists died when their boat sank off eastern Indonesia, and a 10-year-old boy was listed as officially missing, presumed dead, after authorities ended the search. The mission to observe Mount Anak Krakatau departed against a backdrop of regional disruption, as recent volcanic activity from the island had paralysed several airports and blanketed Jakarta and neighbouring cities in volcanic ash.

The Disappearance Route and Last Known Positions

The eight-member party, which included five journalists, two boat crew members, and a guide, set out on Monday, September 7, 2026. The group departed around 02:00 p.m. from the Carita Pandeglang Pier in Pandeglang, Banten, with an estimated two-hour journey ahead of them. The journalists were working for local and international media, including state news agency Antara, Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu, and local website iNews, and were sent to capture photos and video of the volcano’s eruption.

Communication from the vessel ceased shortly after departure. The group last communicated with a journalist in Lampung at about 2:42 p.m. Monday, and one member of the group also sent a location pin before contact was lost at about 3:04 p.m. (or 02:42 p.m. to 03:04 p.m. as noted by authorities tracking the timeline). Basarnas Banten received initial information about the missing group of journalists on Tuesday at 01:55 p.m. Jakarta time, following a report made by a colleague of one of the journalists from the Antara News Agency. According to the agency, the boat owner had not received any information from the crew.

The Search Operation in the Sunda Strait

Responders mobilized quickly following the alert. After receiving the report of the group’s disappearance, rescuers sought information at the group’s departure point on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 02:15 p.m. The Pandeglang Search and Rescue Unit then deployed a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to search for the missing journalists and crew members of the boat. The initial location provided to rescuers was about 9.98 nautical miles from the group’s departure point, located around the group’s last known communication point near Sebesi Island and Mount Anak Krakatau.

At 05:25 p.m., rescuers deployed the Search and Rescue state vessel (KN SAR) Tetuka 247 in the vicinity of the incident, in partly cloudy weather with a 14-knot wind blowing north from the south, operating under conditions with waves ranging from 0.4 to 1 meter. At 06:15 p.m., the RIB docked at the Carita Marina Pier after sweeping around Rakata Island and Panjang Island within a 3.2-kilometer radius of Mount Anak Krakatau. The search results remain negative.

That afternoon, KN SAR Tetuka was still sailing around the last known position of the missing group. The vessel then anchored to resume the search the following day. Rescuers, police from the Pandeglang Water and Air Police unit, and the company that owns the speedboat are all involved in the search.

Amid the ongoing search, 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 Dwianto, head of operations and standby at the Banten Search and Rescue Office, said by phone on Tuesday.

Identities of the Missing Journalists and Crew

According to Basarnas Banten, the group consists of 5 journalists, 2 crew members, and 1 guide, totaling eight people (with authorities noting at least seven people included in the ongoing search operation). Here is the full list of the missing group in the Sunda Strait while en route to report on Mount Anak Krakatau’s activity:

Chronology of 5 Journalists Lost Contact While Covering Anak Krakatau by Boat

1. Warta (Ship Captain) Male/55 Years
2. Surakman (Crew) Male/60 Years
3. Heriyanto (Guide) Male/49 Years
4. M. Bagus Khoirunnas (Antara Journalist) Male
5. Ari Basuki (Merdeka Journalist) Male
6. Yudhis (Inews Journalist) Male
7. Daus (Anadolu Journalist) Male
8. Donal (Freelance) Male

Official Warnings and Next Steps for Rescuers

As search teams paused operations with vessels anchoring to resume the following day, Rizki 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. 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.