"This afternoon, a male victim was found in a ravine approximately 200 meters deep, surrounded by aircraft debris. The evacuation process is currently underway," the head of Makassar Basarnas (Search and Rescue Agency) Office, Arif Anwar, informed on Sunday.
According to him, the victim was found at 2:20 p.m., at coordinates 04°54'44"S and 119°44'48"E by the Rescue Unit (SRU) 3 team.
Anwar said the team is currently evacuating the body via a climbing route.
He added that SRU 3 also found several pieces of aircraft debris, including parts of the frame and seats, and identified the location of the aircraft's engine based on visual reports from the field.
He explained that the SAR operation is divided into four SRUs, each operating according to sectoral divisions.
SRU 1 is descending westward using ropes, while SRU 3 remains at the summit, and some personnel have successfully crossed to point two.
Meanwhile, SRU 4 was about 200 meters from the mission point and could not find safe access. However, after coordinating with the main command post, the team was directed back to the command post.
"The logistics team has also moved to the summit to drop equipment and logistics to support the ongoing operation," he continued.
Regarding other recent developments, Anwar informed that the team is seen at the summit of Mount Bulusaraung, preparing to retrieve the bodies of the victims via the climbing route.
However, the team deployed via the climbing route faces uncertain weather conditions with extreme terrain, he said.
He explained that the SAR team has been facing heavy rain and thick fog, with visibility limited to about five meters at the summit.
"This has impacted team movements, including the cancellation of the vertical descent earlier, for the safety of personnel," he pointed out.
He emphasized that the SAR operation continues, prioritizing the safety of all personnel and coordination between elements in the search for the 10 other victims still missing.
This SAR operation involves various joint SAR elements and is under the coordination of the Makassar Class A Search and Rescue Office. According to the manifest, there were 11 people on board the aircraft, consisting of eight crew members: Captain Andy Dahananto, Yudha Mahardika, Captain Sukardi, Hariadi, Franky D Tanamal, Junaidi, Florencia Lolita, and Esther Aprilita; and three passengers registered as Deden, Ferry, and Yoga.
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Translator: M Darwin Fatir, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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