The personnel come from all PMI branches in Jakarta, PMI Headquarters and PMI branches in  Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi). They are all readied.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has gathered both staff and equipment to help evacuate passengers of Sriwijaya Air flight number SJY 182, which reportedly lost contact around the waters of Seribu Islands on Saturday.

"The personnel come from all PMI branches in Jakarta, PMI Headquarters and PMI branches in Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi). They are all readied," PMI Secretary General Sudirman Said added.

PMI is also coordinating with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), he said.

He noted that he has asked all PMI branches in Jakarta to prepare ambulances and staff to help search for the Sriwijaya plane, which reportedly crashed into the waters off the Seribu Islands.

"We have readied one ambulance and four personnel," the spokesman for PMI branch in South Jakarta, Dedet Haryadi, said.

The Ministry of Transportation has confirmed that airport authorities lost contact with Sriwijaya Air flight number SJY 182 serving the Jakarta-Pontianak route at approximately 2:40 p.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB).

"There has been contact lost with a Sriwijaya aircraft on the Jakarta - Pontianak route with the SJY 182 call sign. The last contact was at 14:40 WIB," the Ministry's Director General of Air Transportation, Novie Riyanto, told Antara here on Saturday.

Novie said that an investigation was currently being coordinated with the National SAR Agency (Basarnas) and the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).

"We will provide further information, if there are additional developments," he said.

The Boeing 737-500 plane, with registration number PK CLC, had its last contact at a position 11 nautical miles north of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, in suburban Jakarta, after passing an altitude of 11,000 feet and while increasing its altitude to 13,000 feet.
(INE)

Related news: Plane debris, cables found in waters off Laki Island, Pulau Seribu

Related news: Sriwijaya Air Management investigates plane after losing contact

Translator: Laily Rahmawaty/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021