JAKARTA: Indonesian rescue teams have temporarily suspended their search for a missing speedboat carrying eight people, including five journalists, after a second day of operations around the active Anak Krakatau volcano produced no sign of the vessel or those aboard.
The boat departed from an area west of Jakarta on Monday afternoon carrying five Indonesian journalists who had been sent to photograph and film the continuing eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau. Two crew members and a guide were also aboard. Contact with the vessel was lost shortly after departure, while one of the journalists last communicated with a colleague and shared his location at around 3pm on Monday.
Search-and-rescue agency Basarnas said teams had covered more than 270 nautical miles, including waters and islands surrounding the volcano. Dozens of police officers, soldiers, fishermen and volunteers have taken part, using high-speed rescue vessels, inflatable boats and thermal-imaging drones. High waves and poor visibility have repeatedly complicated the operation.
“So far, the search result is zero,” local Basarnas chief Al Amrad said on Wednesday. The operation was suspended for the remainder of the day and is expected to resume Thursday, depending on conditions. Rescuers are also proceeding cautiously because Anak Krakatau continues to emit thick volcanic ash.
The missing journalists work for several Indonesian and international outlets, including Antara, Anadolu Agency and iNews. Anak Krakatau’s latest eruption has already disrupted airports, schools and fishing activity across parts of western Indonesia.