September 9, 2026 | 03:50 pm
Mount Krakatoa in the waters of the Sunda Strait, Lampung, Sumatra, 1999. On May 20, 1883, the first eruption of Mount Krakatoa occurred and was recorded by a German warship. Doc. Tempo/Robin Ong
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has deployed three warships to search for five journalists who lost contact while reporting on activity around Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait.According to an official Navy statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday, the three warships are KRI Leuser-924, KRI Kerambit-627 and KRI Lepu-861."The three warships have been deployed to strengthen the search operation and expand the search area in the waters around the Sunda Strait," the statement said.The deployment is intended to maximize efforts to locate the missing journalists.In addition to the warships, the Navy has deployed Indonesian Navy vessels through its Lampung and Banten naval bases to support the search.Search Teams Conduct Coordinated Sweep"All personnel involved are conducting a coordinated search by sweeping designated sectors," the Navy said.The Navy said it hoped the expanded operation would help locate the missing journalists as soon as possible.The deployment comes as a joint SAR operation continues to search for the five journalists, who lost contact while covering Mount Anak Krakatau in the Pandeglang waters of the Sunda Strait on Monday, September 7.Banten Police Chief Oversees Search CoordinationEarlier, Banten Police Chief Insp. Gen. Hengki directly coordinated with the joint SAR team searching for the missing journalists and called for all available resources to be used in the operation.Hengki said rescue teams must ensure the search runs smoothly and safely, with the safety of the missing people as the top priority."All deployed teams must ensure maximum preparedness and effort through close coordination within the joint SAR operation," Hengki said at the National SAR Command Post in Pandeglang on Wednesday.
