Pandeglang, en.SERU.co.id – The search for five journalists and three crew members of the vessel Arupadhatu I, who lost contact near Mount Anak Krakatau, has entered its tenth day on Thursday (17/9/2026). The search area has now been expanded to the waters of Bengkulu and even further west of Bengkulu toward the Indian Ocean based on SAR Map Prediction calculations.
The combined SAR team has deployed 24 vessels to sweep an area covering 8,509 square nautical miles divided into 10 sectors.
Head of the Banten SAR Office, Al Amrad, said the expansion of the area was carried out based on an analysis of the shift in search targets during the ongoing operation.
“Based on the SAR Map Prediction, up to the ninth day the shift of the target according to the SAR Map Prediction has already reached the west of Bengkulu,” Amrad said, quoted from detiknews on Thursday (17/9/2026).
On the latest day of the search operation, the combined SAR team deployed 24 vessels to sweep an area of 8,509 square nautical miles divided into 10 sectors. The search region covers the Sunda Strait up to the western waters of Sumatra and the Indian Ocean.
Head of the Operations and Standby Subdivision at Basarnas Banten, Rizky Dwianto, said all sectors were determined based on areas estimated to be the drift path of the vessel or the victims.
“Sector C is the largest search area with a coverage of 3,380 square nautical miles. KRI Teluk Lada and KRI Dewa Kembar are sweeping the Indian Ocean from the western Belimbing area to the south of Enggano Island,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sector A covering 1,156 square nautical miles includes the western waters of Sumatra up to the west of Enggano Island using KN SAR 213 from the Bengkulu SAR Office. Sector B covering 494 square nautical miles targets the coast and waters around Enggano Island using RIB 02 Bengkulu.
Sweeps are also being carried out in various other areas. Sectors D to J cover the waters around Panaitan Island, Semangka Bay, the Lampung area, Mount Anak Krakatau, Sebesi Island, Panaitan Island, and the western coast of Banten and Merak.
Read Also:
Mount Anak Krakatau Spews Lava Fountains Status Remains at Alert Level III
The 24 sea assets deployed consist of eight Indonesian Navy vessels, eight Polairud vessels, and eight units from Basarnas and KPLP. The Indonesian Navy elements involve five KRIs, two KALs and one RBB. From Basarnas, the search is supported by four KN SAR vessels from the Banten, Lampung, Jakarta and Bengkulu SAR offices as well as three RIB units. Meanwhile, KPLP has deployed one vessel.
The SAR team has also disseminated information through e-broadcast to vessels passing through the Sunda Strait and coordinated with the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS).
However, until the tenth day these efforts have not yet produced any findings. Information from the public received by the team has also been followed up but has not yet provided clues regarding the whereabouts of the eight people being sought.
For information, the eight people departed toward the area around Mount Anak Krakatau on Monday (7/9) and were declared missing. The five journalists in the group are M Bagus Khoirunnas (Antara), Arie Basuki (Merdeka.com), Yudistiro Pranoto (iNews), Firman Daus (Anadolu Agency) and Donal Husni (freelance journalist).
Meanwhile, the three vessel crew members consist of Warta/Surahman as captain, Sukarman as crew member, and Heriyanto as guide.
“The search can be extended according to regulations if no signs of the victims’ presence are found. If there are signs that the victims have been found, we will reopen the operation,” he concluded. (aan/mzm)
