(Jakarta, 19th Comprehensive News) The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency stated that it is preparing both air and land evacuation options for the victims of the ATR 42-500 aircraft crash in the Maros-Pangkajene Kepulauan area of South Sulawesi.
Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency chief Muhammad Syaugi said that the rescue will proceed via air or land depending on the operating conditions at the scene. “If conditions permit, a Caracal helicopter will be dispatched to land near the summit, and the victims will be evacuated by hoisting; if air evacuation is not feasible, the joint search and rescue team will switch to land rescue,” he explained.
In addition to evacuating the victims, Syaugi pointed out that the rescue teams will also recover the wreckage of the aircraft to assist the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) with the accident investigation. “The rescue operation is not only for the passengers but also includes aircraft components required for the investigation,” he added.
This joint rescue operation has mobilized the National Search and Rescue Agency, military, police, local governments, and volunteer forces, equipped with ground and aerial equipment as well as field communication technology. Rescue personnel are also closely monitoring weather conditions to ensure operational safety.
The ATR 42-500 flight took off from Yogyakarta at 9:08 am on January 17, and was scheduled to arrive at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar at 12:22 pm, but subsequently lost contact.
On the second day of the search and rescue operation, the joint search and rescue team found aircraft wreckage near a hillside in the Bantimurung—Bulusaraung National Park in Pangkajene Islands. On Sunday, rescuers discovered a victim’s body in a valley about 200 meters deep, with aircraft debris scattered nearby.