Rescuers expand search for eight missing near erupting Anak Krakatau volcano
Indonesian rescue teams expanded their search operations Wednesday for eight people missing in the Sunda Strait, including five journalists who set out to capture footage of the erupting Mount Anak Krakatau volcano.
The speedboat departed from an area west of Jakarta on Monday afternoon, carrying the five journalists along with two boat crew members and a guide. Contact with the vessel was lost shortly after departure, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
The journalists work for local and international media outlets including state news agency Antara, Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, and local website iNews. One reporter contacted a colleague at 3:00 pm Monday to share his location but has not been heard from since.
Search operations hampered by hazardous conditions
Search operations began Tuesday afternoon but were suspended hours later due to high waves and poor visibility in the Sunda Strait, a strategically important waterway between Java and Sumatra known for hazardous conditions including strong currents and volcanic activity. The strait presents live operational risks to maritime traffic, particularly during periods of heightened volcanic activity.
On Wednesday, Basarnas expanded the search area and deployed additional resources, including high-speed rescue vessels, inflatable boats, and thermal drones. The operation involves dozens of personnel from police, military, fishermen, and volunteer groups working across Indonesia's 43 regional search and rescue offices.
Volcano at high alert level
Mount Anak Krakatau has been at Alert Level III, the second-highest on Indonesia's four-level volcanic warning scale, since early July. Authorities have maintained a 3-kilometer exclusion zone around the active crater. The current eruption sequence began September 4, with volcanic ash columns reaching approximately 15 kilometers above sea level, forcing the closure of eight airports including Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
The volcano erupted three times on Tuesday, most recently at 7:49 am local time, according to the volcano monitoring agency.
A volcano with a deadly history
Anak Krakatau, which translates to "child of Krakatau," emerged a century ago from the caldera of its parent volcano. The original Krakatau destroyed itself in catastrophic eruptions in 1883 that killed more than 36,000 people through a series of devastating tsunamis.
More recently, on December 22, 2018, Anak Krakatau experienced a major flank collapse that triggered a tsunami killing at least 437 people along the coasts of Java and Sumatra. That disaster marked the deadliest volcanically-induced tsunami since the 1883 eruption, underscoring why media coverage of the current activity carries such urgency and risk.
Indonesia's volcanic activity and journalist safety
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has approximately 130 active volcanoes. The country has recorded 4,497 volcanic eruptions in 2026 through September 8, making it one of the most volcanically active nations globally.
According to a 2024 survey, 47 percent of Indonesian journalists reported covering natural disaster areas as risky assignments, yet only 67 percent received safety training before undertaking such coverage.
"The joint search and rescue team will continue the search by optimizing all available personnel, facilities, and equipment," Basarnas said in a statement Wednesday.
