"The 18 body bags that we have found have increased by 22 today [January 11, 2020]. So, in total, we have collected 40 body bags," Basarnas Head Marshal, Madya Bagus Puruhito, said at the JICT II Tanjung Priok dock in Jakarta on Monday.
Bagus said the search and rescue operation on the third day was focused on evacuating victims of the plane crash.
"As for the additional material [it has been collected] in the form of two bags, and currently SAR operations are still ongoing in the area," he added.
Bagus sought the support and prayers of the Indonesian people so that the evacuation process of the victims runs smoothly.
The Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182, bearing the registration number PK-CLC, lost contact on Saturday (January 9, 2020) at 2:40 p.m. Western Indonesia time (WIB) shortly after take-off and crashed between Lancang Island and Laki Island, Thousand Islands, DKI Jakarta. The flight was traveling on the Jakarta-Pontianak route.
The Boeing 737-500 aircraft lost contact at a position 11 nautical miles north of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang after passing an altitude of 11,000 feet and while moving to a higher altitude of 13,000 feet.
The plane took off from the Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 2.36 p.m. Western Indonesia time (WIB) on Saturday. Its schedule was delayed from the previous flight schedule of 1.35 p.m. WIB due to weather conditions.
Based on the manifest, the aircraft, which was produced in 1994, was carrying 62 persons: 50 passengers and 12 crew members. Of them, there were 40 adults, seven children, and three babies.
The search and investigation of the aircraft’s debris and body parts is currently on and is being carried out by the National SAR Agency (Basarnas) and the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC).
The search and rescue efforts are being conducted through direct coordination between various parties, including the police, the military, and the provincial government of DKI Jakarta. (INE)
Related news: Sriwijaya plane crash: Families of victims provide 53 DNA samples
Related news: Baruna Jaya to assist in searching Sriwijaya's black boxes: KNKT
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Translator: Devi Sari, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
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