"Right now some members of the team are trying to go down the valley after some members of the team had come down," the chief of search mission coordinator of the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), Ketut Parwa, said here on Sunday.
He said the team believed that more victims of the plane crash were still at the base of cliff.
"We hope we can evacuate all of the victims," he said.
The crash site is located at a height of between 2,000 and 2,066 meters above sea level. From that place the team will descend the valley 500 meter deep at a tilt of 85 degrees.
"The area is quite difficult to reach. Team members must use ropes and rely on roots to reach the bottom of the valley," he noted.
He said 19 body bags had been sent to Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta.
"About 540 members of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) police will be sent to the site to replace personnel of the existing evacuation team. They will be three for three days," he said.
Sukhoi Superjet 100 was carrying 45 passengers, including 34 Indonesians, eight Russians, two Italians and one Frenchman. The plane crashed last Wednesday (May 9) after conducting a demonstration flight for potential Indonesian buyers.(*)
(I025/S012)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
