Indonesia extends search for missing journalists on volcano mission

 Five journalists were among eight people on a speedboat that went missing in the Sunda Strait while travelling to cover Mount Anak Krakatau's eruption.

A search team used binoculars while combing the coast of Mount Anak Krakatau from the waters of the Sunda Strait. (AFP pic)

PANDEGLANG:

Indonesian rescuers on Monday extended the search for eight people, including five journalists, a week after their speedboat went missing in the waters between the islands of Java and Sumatra, an official said.

The Indonesian journalists were on a trip to take photos and videos of the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, which blanketed cities in volcanic ash and prompted multiple airports to close.

The group, which also included two crew members and a guide, set out by boat from an area west of capital Jakarta on the afternoon of September 7, but lost contact somewhere in the Sunda Strait soon after.

Results of the search and rescue operation were “still zero”, local search and rescue agency head Al Amrad told reporters on Monday.

“We will continue the search for the next three days,” he said.

A male body was found on Enggano island, more than 350km away from the volcano.

Authorities are awaiting test results on whether the body belonged to one of the missing people, local police spokesman Maruli Ahiles Hutapea said.

The journalists were employed by local and international media, including state news agency Antara, local website iNews and Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu.

Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian archipelago, due in part to lax safety standards and inclement weather.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity. - FMT