"It is still too premature to draw a conclusion on the causes of the crash of the helicopter which is still relatively new. Therefore, the President ordered the investigation of the accident," Presidential Spokesman Julian A Pasha said here on Sunday.
Julian who was accompanying the President during a limited cabinet meeting at the guest room of the Heroes Cemetery Complex, said soldiers who died during carrying out their state tasks should be given compensation.
The President, Julian said, also asked that the dead victims should be evacuated soon.
It was earlier reported that all victims who survived the accident had been taken to the Navy Hospital in North Kalimantan.
President Yudhoyono has also expressed condolences over the victims of the MI-17 Army helicopter which crashed in Malinu, North Kalimantan, on Saturday.
"I here with convey my deep condolences to soldiers and civilians who were killed in the helicopter crash accident," President Yudhoyono said on his Twitter account on Saturday night.
The President said that all soldiers killed in the accident were carrying out their tasks to construct a post in Malinau District which shared border with Malaysia in North Kalimantan.
It was reported that 13 people were killed and six others sustained injuries in the crash of the helicopter belonging to the Army.
Army Spokesman Brig Gen Rukaman Ahmad explained the MI-17 helicopter crashed before it landed on the helipad in the Bulan post of Long Jelet village in Punjungan Subdistrict of Malinau District, North Kalimantan.
Rukman said the helicopter was burnt after crashing killing 13 people. Six passengers survived.
Colonel Inf Legowo, the information head of the Mulawarman/VI Provincial Military Command issued a list containing the names of 19 people (13 of them died) in a military helicopter crash in Malinau, North Kalimantan, at around 11 am on Saturday.
Those killed were Captain Wahyu Ramadhan, First Lieut. Rohmad, First Lieut. Agung Budiharjo, Chief Sergeant Aan Prayitno, Captain Sardi, Wanyu (civilian), Desi (civilian), Ling ling (civilian), Asun (civilian), Sam (civilian), Ging (civilian), Rodest (civilian) and Delong Lenggang (civilian).
Those who survived the accident were Chief Private Tigor M.T. Simburian, First Sergeant Joko Karsono, Mendan, Albert, Ferdy and Njuk.
(A014)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
