We will start evacuating as early as possible ..."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) will evacuate the bodies of the victims of the crashed Aviastar aircraft on Tuesday.
The plane had lost contact en route from Masamba to Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Friday.
"We will start evacuating as early as possible, most likely at 06:00 a.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA)," chief of the Basarnas, Vice Marshal F Henry Bambang Soelistyo, said here on Monday.
The ill-fated Twin Otter aircraft belonging to Aviastar airline and bearing registration number DHC6/PKBRM, was discovered on Monday in Gamaru hamlet, Ulu Salu village, Enrekang Sub-district, South Sulawesi at 05.00 p.m. WITA.
The aircraft had lost contact while it was on its way from Masamba to Makassar, South Sulawesi, at 2:36 p.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA), on Friday.
The chief of the West Sulawesi regional police command, Inspector General Pudji Hartanto Iskandar, confirmed here on Monday that the plane had crashed in Bukit Pajaja in the village of Ulusalu, Luwu district in Latimojong hills, and that its debris has been discovered.
"I have received information from the Luwu resort police chief that the plane has been discovered and I have reported it to the chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas)," he said.
He said the crashed plane was discovered by the Luwu resort police chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Adex Yudiswan, along with local villagers and an SAR team.
Pudji Hartanto said he would leave for the site of the crash later in the night to personally check it out.
"I am now on my way to the site. I have reported it to Basarnas and also to the chief of Basarnas," he said.
The DHC6/PK-BRM plane with flight number MV 7503 was discovered by a search group led by Adjunct Senior Commissioner Adex Yudiswan.
Yudiswan said he could confirm that all seven passengers and three crew members on board died in the crash.
The plane lost contact at 14:36 Central Indonesia Time, 11 minutes after take-off from Andi Jemma airport in Masamba in West Sulawesi and was headed for Makassar in South Sulawesi, which would have taken 70 minutes of flying time.
The plane was being piloted by Iri Afriadi with Yudhistira as co-pilot and Sukris as technician at the time of the crash.
Seven passengers on the plane included four adults, a child and two infants. The passengers were identified as Nurul Fatimah, Lisa Falentin, Riza Arman, Sakhi Arqam, M Natsir, Afif (one year old baby) and Raya Adawiah (three year old child).
(Reported by Juwita Trisna Rahayu/Uu.B003/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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