Tuesday, 15 September 2026
MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - Hundreds of journalists in the Indonesian city of Medan lit candles on Monday evening as a sign of mourning and solidarity for five photojournalists who remain missing after contact with them was lost in the waters of the Sunda Strait. The candlelight illuminated the area around the Sudirman Fountain in Medan on Monday night, September 14, 2026.
The gathering was an expression of grief and, at the same time, a prayer by members of the media community in Medan for the five photojournalists who are still missing. They had been on assignment to cover the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the waters off Banten Province when contact with them was lost.Before lighting the candles, the Medan chapter of the Indonesian Photographers Association (PFI), together with journalists from various media outlets across Medan, held a joint prayer, Tahlil and Dhikr at the Journalists' Prayer Room on Jalan Sudirman, in Medan Polonia District.
The five missing photojournalists are M. Bagus Khoirunnas of Antara News Agency, Ari Basuki of Merdeka.com, Yudistiro Pranoto of iNews.id, Firman Daus of Anadolu Agency, and Donal Husni, a freelance photojournalist.They were last seen on Monday, September 7, 2026, while carrying out their journalistic duties. As of Monday, September 14, the search for the five photojournalists and three crew members of the boat was still underway.
Following the joint prayer, the journalists went to the Sudirman Fountain. They carried photographs of the five missing photojournalists and placed them at the site of the solidarity gathering.
One by one, candles were then lit and arranged around the photographs of the five journalists. The flickering candlelight, swaying in the night breeze, created an emotional atmosphere among the journalists who had gathered.The journalists also held several posters bearing the messages, "Pray for 5 Photojournalists" and "Segera Pulang dengan Selamat" ("Come Home Safely").
The gathering not only expressed grief but also kept alive the hope that the five photojournalists would soon be found. The candles became a symbol that the attention and prayers of their fellow journalists continue to burn, even though the search is taking place far from Medan.Several female journalists were unable to hold back their tears. Some embraced the cameras they normally use in their work, while others stood beside the candles and photographs of their colleagues.
Chairman of PFI Medan, Risky Cahyadi, said the candle-lighting ceremony was an expression of sympathy from journalists in Medan for the five photojournalists who remain missing."Today, PFI Medan, together with our fellow journalists from across Medan, held a joint prayer, Tahlil and Dhikr for our five colleagues who are currently still missing. They disappeared in the waters off Banten while covering the eruption of Anak Krakatau," Risky Cahyadi, chairman of PFI Medan, said in a trembling voice.
He explained that the journalists continued their prayers by lighting candles at the Sudirman Fountain."Yes, we have just witnessed it ourselves. PFI Medan, together with journalists from across Medan, held a joint prayer, Tahlil and Dhikr. After that, we lit candles together," he added.
The journalists regard the disappearance of the five photojournalists as an event that affects the entire press community. They understand that field assignments can involve risks that cannot always be anticipated.
The cameras that normally serve as the photojournalists' working tools became symbols of their dedication that evening. The journalists in attendance were reminded that behind every journalistic photograph is the courage of a person who goes directly to the scene to document an event and deliver information to the public.Risky expressed hope that the search for the five photojournalists and the three crew members of the boat would soon succeed.
"We hope together that our five colleagues, along with the three crew members of the boat, will be found as soon as possible and that everyone is in a healthy and safe condition," Risky said.According to Risky, the candle-lighting and joint prayer were expressions of moral support among journalists. The technical aspects of the search, he said, were being left to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the relevant authorities. At the same time, the journalists hoped that all parties involved would make every possible effort.
"As a form of support and solidarity, this joint prayer is naturally part of the efforts we can make as fellow professionals. Although the search process falls under the responsibility of the relevant authorities, we hope the search will be carried out with maximum effort," he emphasized.
As of the publication of this report on Monday, September 14, 2026, search and rescue operations for the five photojournalists and the three crew members of the boat were still underway. Sea conditions and weather posed particular challenges for the joint SAR teams conducting the search.
Meanwhile, journalists in Medan continue to await new information on the progress of the search. Families, colleagues and members of the media community in various regions are also praying that the five photojournalists will be found as soon as possible.For the journalists who took part in the gathering, lighting the candles was more than a symbolic gesture. They wanted to show that the five missing photojournalists were not alone during this difficult situation. Behind them stands a large community of media professionals who continue to wait for news and hope that the missing journalists will return safely.
"We hope they will be found, whatever the circumstances. Of course, we hope they are healthy, our colleagues," Risky said in closing.That evening, the candles at the Sudirman Fountain became a symbol of hope that continues to be preserved. The journalists stood amid the candlelight, photographs of their five colleagues and the words "Segera Pulang dengan Selamat" ("Come Home Safely").
From Medan, they sent their prayers and hopes toward the waters of the Sunda Strait. They hope the search will soon make a decisive breakthrough and bring the five photojournalists and the three crew members back to their families.The candlelight may slowly fade, but the journalists' hope that their colleagues will soon be found remains alive. (IDNC)
REPORTER: H. Muhammad Said Harahap | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
/home/u7391150/public_html/indatanews.com/theme/function.php on line 28
