The main obstacle (to the evacuation attempt) has been the weather.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - A joint evacuation team managed to locate the chief of Jambi Regional Police (Polda), Inspector General Rusdi Hartono, and his entourage after a helicopter they were traveling in made an emergency landing on Sunday.

The team, comprising police, military, and National and Search Agency (Basarnas) personnel, as well as volunteers, found the entourage on Monday at Tamia Hill, Kerinci District, Jambi Province.

"At around 4 a.m. WIB (Western Indonesian Standard Time), the land evacuation team managed to find the the Jambi police chief's entourage,” the National Police spokesman, Inspector General Dedi Prasetyo, informed.

The evacuation team provided logistical aid, including power banks, to enable communication between the search and rescue (SAR) team and the Polda officers, he added.

In addition, food assistance, blankets, and water supplies were sent to the entourage on a helicopter belonging to the Directorate of Water and Air Police, he said.

A joint team of around 350 personnel, led by Kerinci Resort Police (Polres) chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Patria Yudha Rahadian, was deployed for the SAR mission.

"Two teams have been moving since last night until today. The team used three helicopters yesterday. However, today, we deployed six helicopters," the Polri official informed.

He said that his party had been able to communicate with the Polda Jambi officers. The evacuation process is still ongoing, he added.

An air evacuation has been planned to move the entourage due to the poor weather and difficult terrain. The SAR team, which has reached the location, has determined the pick-up point for the evacuation.

"The main obstacle (to the evacuation attempt) has been the weather. The weather was foggy and (sometimes) it rained suddenly, thus hampering the evacuation process carried out on Sunday," Prasetyo said.

In addition, his party has prepared the Jambi Police Hospital to treat the officers.

If the medical care provided by the hospital is not adequate, he said that the Polda Jambi officers will be taken to Jakarta for treatment.

The officers in Hartono’s entourage comprise the director of criminal investigation, Senior Commissioner Andri Ananta; the director of Water and Air Police, Senior Commissioner Muchael Bumbunan; and the coordinator of executive personal staff, Commissioner A. Yani.

They also include Adjunct Commissioner (AKP) Ali, AKP Amos F., Second Adjunct Inspector Susilo, as well as an aide-de-camp (ADC) of the Jambi police chief.

Hartono reportedly broke an arm in the incident.

He and his entourage had left for Kerinci District on a Bell 412 SP helicopter at 9:25 a.m. WIB on Sunday to inaugurate an Integrated Police Service Center of the Kerinci police precinct.


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Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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