Wreckage Found as Indonesian Surveillance Plane Missing with 11 on Board
Wreckage Found as Indonesian Surveillance Plane Missing with 11 on Board
Rescue teams locate the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane in South Sulawesi; 11 people aboard are still unaccounted as search efforts expand through fog and rugged terrain.
Indonesian authorities said they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane that went missing in South Sulawesi, with 11 people aboard. The ATR 42-500 turboprop, owned by Indonesia Air Transport, was chartered by the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry to conduct air surveillance on fisheries.
The aircraft lost contact on Saturday around 1:30 p.m. local time near the Maros region after departing from Yogyakarta province and was heading to Makassar. Rescuers had been scouring the fog-bound mountains when the wreckage was spotted.
On Sunday morning, rescuers found wreckage in different locations around Mount Bulusaraung in the Maros district. Debris including a window fragment and large parts of the fuselage were seen, with the tail also located at the bottom of the mountain slope. About 1,200 personnel were to be deployed as the search continued, with the priority to locate and evacuate any victims.
The search is hampered by thick fog and rugged terrain, but helicopter crews and ground teams remain on scene.
There were eight crew members and three passengers on board, all Ministry staff members; the plane had departed Yogyakarta and was en route to Makassar when contact was lost.
