Indonesia hails five journalists missing after Anak Krakatau assignment as ‘heroes of the press’

The missing journalists are Muhammad Bagus Khoirunnas of Antara, Firdaus Wajidi of Anadolu Agency, Ari Basuki of Merdeka.com, Yudistiro Pranoto of iNews and freelance journalist Donal Husni. They were travelling with boat crew members Warta and Surakman, and guide Heriyanto. — AFP pic

First Published: Tuesday, 22 Sep 2026 9:28 AM MYT

Last Modified: Tuesday, 22 Sep 2026 9:30 AM MYT

JAKARTA, Sept 22 — Indonesia’s Press Council has described the five journalists who went missing while covering the Anak Krakatau eruption at the Sunda Straits, as “heroes of the press”, highlighting the risks journalists face when reporting from hazardous areas.

Its chairman Komarudin Hidayat said the five had sought to bring the best images to the public, while the incident should serve as a reminder for media organisations to coordinate closely with local authorities when assigning journalists to dangerous areas.

“We usually enjoy the images but sometimes forget the struggle behind obtaining them. When a tragedy like this happens, we are reminded just how costly and difficult it can be to get the best images,” he said after a prayer gathering for the missing journalists in Jakarta on Monday, according to Antara News Agency.

The missing journalists are Muhammad Bagus Khoirunnas of Antara, Firdaus Wajidi of Anadolu Agency, Ari Basuki of Merdeka.com, Yudistiro Pranoto of iNews and freelance journalist Donal Husni. They were travelling with boat crew members Warta and Surakman, and guide Heriyanto.

All eight have been missing since September 7 after their speedboat lost contact while they were on a  reporting assignment in the Sunda Strait.

The joint search and rescue operation was officially called off on September 17 after 10 days without finding any trace of them.

In his remarks at the gathering, which was streamed live, Komarudin reflected on the value of human life and the uncertainty faced by the families of those missing, while repeatedly expressing hope for their return.

“We pray that they return. We still need them, and at this stage of life, we still want them to continue,” he said.

As the media community continues to remember the missing journalists, Antara has dedicated a room at its Banten bureau to photojournalist Muhammad Bagus, who had worked with the national news agency in the province for eight years, in recognition of his dedication and journalistic work.

Antara Director of News Virgandhi Prayudantoro said the room, which will bear Bagus’ name, would preserve his photojournalistic works while serving as an educational and creative space for Antara journalists and other media practitioners in Banten. — Bernama