IPB Students Reported Missing On Sempu Island, Malang

ANTARA/HO-South Coast Rescue.

One student from the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) named Galang Edhi Swasono (20), was reported missing in the Sempu Island area, Sendangbiru Hamlet, Tambakrejo Village, Sumbermjing Wetan District, Malang Regency, East Java.

The Head of Emergency and Logistics of the Malang Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Sadono Irawan, said Galang Edhi had been missing in the Telaga Lele Block, Sempu Island since December 27 afternoon.

"The incident was reported on Thursday (28/12), that an IPB student was missing in the Sempu Islands area, in Telaga Lele Block," Sadono said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, December 28.

Sadono explained, based on a report compiled by the Center for Disaster Management Operations Control (Pusdalops) BPBD Malang Regency, Galang Edhi is a student majoring in the Conservation of Forest Resources and Ecotourism IPB.

According to him, Galang Edhi and a number of his colleagues are conducting research in Telaga Lele Block, Sempu Island area. Galang Edhi left the group on December 27, 2023 at approximately 09.00 WIB.

Galang Edhi should have returned with a group conducting research in the Telaga Lele Block in the Sempu Island area at 11.00 WIB. However, until 11.30 WIB, Galang Edhi did not return to the group.

"So the team there decided to do the search. However, until 23.00 WIB, there was no sign of the person concerned," he said.

The group from the IPB reported the incident to the Water and Air Police Unit (Satpolairud) of the Malang Resort Police (Polres) and the Naval Post to carry out the search process, on December 28, 2023.

For information, Galang Edhi is a fifth semester male student at IPB, a resident of Gunung Langit Village, Kallibening District, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java.

"We have also coordinated with the Surabaya Basarnas," he said.

Sempu Island is located in the southern Malang area, East Java, and is a nature asylum area with the status of a nature reserve. The determination of Sempu Island as a nature conservation area was determined in 1928.

Administratively, the Sempu Island Nature Reserve is located in Sendangbiru Hamlet, Tambakrejo Village, Sumbermjing Wetan District, Malang Regency. Sempu Island is designated as a nature reserve because it has natural uniqueness and biological wealth.

The diversity of plant species on Sempu Island is also fairly high. According to data from the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA) in 2009, there were 314 types of plants on the island which directly bordered the Indian Ocean.