Indonesian emergency teams are searching for eight people missing at sea after they travelled towards the Anak Krakatau volcano to report on its latest eruption, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The missing group comprises five journalists, two boat crew members and a guide, who set off aboard a speedboat from Carita in Banten province towards the volcanic island in the Sunda Strait, reports AP.
Al Amrad, chief of the Banten Search and Rescue Office, said the last message from the group was received by a journalist’s relatives at 6:13pm on Monday, confirming that they had entered waters near Anak Krakatau.
The group’s last recorded position was about 18.5 kilometres from the coastline. Rescue teams have been conducting search operations since Tuesday but have yet to locate the boat or establish contact with anyone on board.
The journalists work for Indonesia’s Antara news agency, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, Merdeka and iNews, while another member of the group is a freelance photographer.
Although the initial eruption ended on Sunday, the volcano has continued to erupt intermittently, sending lava, ash and glowing volcanic material into the air. The activity forced airport closures on Sunday and Monday, disrupting nearly 2,961 flights and affecting around 341,000 passengers.
Authorities have also allowed schools in ash-affected areas to temporarily switch to online classes.
Anak Krakatau, meaning “child of Krakatau”, emerged from the remains of the volcano whose massive 1883 eruption devastated the surrounding area and contributed to global cooling. A previous eruption in 2018 triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people across Sumatra and Java.
The volcano has remained at Indonesia’s second-highest alert level since July, with authorities advising people to stay at least 3 kilometres from the crater.
Indonesia lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has more than 120 active volcanoes, resulting in frequent eruptions.
