Maulana was an asset management official at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and a passenger on the Indonesia Air Transport aircraft.
His coffin, wrapped in a blue tarpaulin, was handed over by police forensic officers to the family, represented by his wife and brother-in-law.
The body was then transported by ambulance to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport and scheduled to be flown to Jakarta by cargo aircraft for burial.
Maulana’s wife, wearing a veil, declined to speak to reporters, while airline representatives attempted to prevent journalists from approaching the family.
Joint search teams found Maulana’s body on Sunday at about 2:20 p.m. local time on the slopes of Mount Bulusaraung, around 300 meters deep, a day after the crash.
Evacuation was carried out using a Basarnas Dauphin helicopter after rescuers moved the body to an open area in Lampeso hamlet, Maros district, using a hoist.
The evacuation was delayed by extreme weather, including heavy rain and dense fog, as well as steep terrain during four days of overland recovery efforts.
Earlier, South Sulawesi police forensic chief Muhammad Haris said identification details would be released after examinations were completed, with confirmation coming at 9:59 p.m.
Asked about the length of the identification process, Haris said it depended largely on the condition of the remains.
If fingerprints can be obtained, identification is faster, he said. Otherwise, investigators must rely on other comparative forensic methods.
Haris said examinations were ongoing, with teams working from morning until night after receiving the body.
He stressed that victim identification prioritizes accuracy over speed, saying certainty is essential to ensure the remains match the confirmed identity.
So far, two victims have been identified and released to families: flight attendant Florencia Lolita Wibisono and civil servant Deden Maulana.
On Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. local time, rescuers had found body parts believed to belong to a third victim in the Bulusaraung mountain range, where the aircraft went down.
The victim’s gender could not yet be determined as only body fragments were recovered during the ongoing evacuation, according to Basarnas Chief Air Marshal Mohammad Syafii.
Related news: Indonesia recovers black box from ATR crash site as search continues
Related news: ATR 42 crash victim's remains handed over to family in Jakarta
Translator: M.Darwin F, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
