Temanggung, Central Java (ANTARA News) - A team from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Badan SAR Nasional) will soon investigate the cause of the crash of its Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin helicopter on Sunday afternoon in Temanggung, Central Java.

Badan SAR Nasional Director for Operation and Training Ahmad Ivan remarked here on Monday that a team of Basarnas from Jakarta will conduct an investigation into the cause of the accident.

"After the investigation, the team will evacuate the wreckage of the helicopter from its location at a hillside," Ivan said, adding that all eight people in the ill-fated helicopter were killed in the accident.

The victims' bodies have been taken to the Bhayangkara hospital in the provincial city of Semarang to undergo identification process.

The bodies arrived early Monday morning at the hospital here, where the families of the victims and the Central Java Badan SAR Nasional Chief Agus Haryono were present to receive the bodies for identification.

The identification will be conducted by the Central Java Disaster Victim Identification team.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin helicopter of Badan SAR Nasional was reported to have crashed in Temanggung.

Senior Commissioner Djarod Padakova, the public relations officer of the Central Java Regional Police, confirmed here that the helicopter had crashed in a hilly area.

According to Padakova, the Dauphin helicopter of Basarnas was earlier parked at the Gringsing toll gate to monitor the flow of traffic of the Eid al-Fitr or Lebaran travelers.

The helicopter was heading to the Dieng area of Wonosobo District, Central Java Province, to assist the people after the Sileri Crater had erupted on Sunday afternoon.

The Basarnas public relations officer informed about a helicopter crashing in Candiroto of Temanggung District during a flight to Wonosobo.

Additionally, the security officer had closed the Sileri Crater area in Kepakisan Village, Dieng Plateau, after the eruption on Sunday at 12 a.m. local time.

Preliminary reports from the Banjarnegara Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency revealed that 17 tourists were visiting the area when the eruption occurred. Four people were injured and treated at a community healthcare center in Batur.

Editor: Ade P Marboen
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