Indonesian authorities are intensifying their search for a small plane that vanished while flying over Sulawesi Island, carrying 10 passengers and crew members in total.
Foreign news agencies report that Indonesian officials are urgently searching for a plane carrying 3 government officials and 7 crew members after losing contact with air traffic control last Saturday (17 Jan) during a mission to monitor resources.
Rescue units stated that the propeller aircraft, an ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport (IAT), departed from Yogyakarta and was en route to Makassar on Sulawesi Island.
Santi Wahyu Trenggono, Indonesia's Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said at a press conference that three ministry officials were aboard this plane conducting an aerial resource monitoring mission before contact was lost after 1:00 p.m. local time on Saturday.
Meanwhile, IAT confirmed that there were also 7 crew members aboard the aircraft.
Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of the local search and rescue agency, told AFP that rescue teams have been deployed to the mountainous area in Maros Regency, which borders Makassar and is near the plane’s last known location.
Anwar added that the search efforts on land and in the air involve cooperation from the air force, police, and volunteers.
Andi Sultan, head of operations for the Makassar search and rescue agency, stated that helicopters and drones are being used to search for the missing plane.
French-based aircraft manufacturer ATR, maker of the ATR 42-500, said it has been informed about the "accident" involving its plane, and that ATR experts are fully supporting both the Indonesian authorities’ investigation and the airline operator.
Source:cna