Indonesian authorities have launched a search and rescue operation after a boat carrying five journalists and three crew members lost contact while covering an eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait.
The vessel departed Monday afternoon from Pagedongan Carita dock in Banten province, approximately 120 kilometers west of Jakarta, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). The boat left at 2 p.m. local time with the journalists aboard to document and film the volcanic activity.
The last communication with one of the journalists occurred at 3 p.m. Monday, after which contact was lost. The boat owner has provided no information about the vessel's whereabouts since then, authorities said.
The five Indonesian journalists worked for local and international news outlets including the Antara news agency, Turkish broadcaster Anadolu, and news website Inews. They had traveled to the area specifically to photograph and record footage of the volcano's eruptions.
Basarnas Banten, the regional search and rescue authority, deployed teams to conduct operations in the area surrounding the incident location. The head of Basarnas Banten, Al Amrad, confirmed the departure details and the subsequent loss of contact in a statement.
Mount Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, has been experiencing volcanic activity. The volcano is part of the Krakatau volcanic complex, one of Indonesia's most active and closely monitored volcanic systems.
As of Tuesday, the journalists and crew members remained unaccounted for, with search operations ongoing in the waters where the vessel was last known to be operating.