"We can not simply tell the families as soon as we find them. There are procedures which we must follow," the head of BNPB, Suharyanto, said in a press conference here on Saturday.
In a prior meeting, Suharyanto has explained about the identification process to people, parents and guardians of students who are affected by the incident. The transparency is part of maintaining public trust, he said.
Moreover, the families agree to BNPB's careful approach, recognizing the importance of accuracy and attention to detail in the identification process, he added.
"Each victim will be identified properly before being returned to their family," he assured.
Data from the the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) as of Friday, October 3, stated that a joint team evacuated nine bodies using both manual techniques and heavy equipment.
However, progress in some areas has been slow, due to inaccessible locations.
Basarnas' director for operations, Yudhi Bramantyo, stated that the difficult terrain requires strict coordination to ensure search and rescue personnel's safety and the effectiveness of the evacuation process.
In some spots, the team will carry out evacuation procedures manually, whereas heavy machinery will be used in other places, Bramantyo explained.
As of Saturday morning, there are a total of 167 victims, comprising of 118 who have been found. Of the 118, 104 are safe, 11 are injured and being treated, 13 passed away, and 45 people are still being searched for.
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Translator: M. Riezko Bima, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Arie Novarina
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