Rescuers search for 5 Indonesian photojournalists missing near Anak Krakatau volcano

JAKARTA — Indonesian rescuers searched for eight people who went missing at sea while heading the island of Anak Krakatau to report on a volcanic eruption, officials said Wednesday (Sept 9).A speedboat carrying five photojournalists, two crew members and a route guide lost contact after departing from Carita, a coastal town in Banten province, bound for the volcanic island located on the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, said Al Amrad, Banten province’s Search and Rescue Office chief.He said the last message from the boat was received by relatives of a journalist on board at 6.13pm Monday, saying the group had arrived in the waters around Anak Krakatau. They have not been heard from since.The five Indonesian journalists worked for Indonesia’s state news agency Antara, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency and several local and foreign media outlets.Their last known location was about 18.5 kilometres from shore. Rescuers, who have been deployed since Tuesday, “still unable to establish contact with the group or determine their whereabouts”, Amrad said.