Crash victims' bodies sent home

Crash victims' bodies sent home

JAKARTA (JP): The remains of 10 victims of last week's Merpati Nusantara Airlines crash in East Nusa Tenggara were returned to their families yesterday.

In a solemn ceremony search and rescue leader Lt. Col. Adnan handed over the remains to the East Nusa Tenggara governor represented by Manggarai regent Gaspar Parang Ehok in Labuhanbajo, to be returned to their families.

The charred bodies of the ten out of 14 victims of the Twin Otter plane were identified as captain pilot Lovi Ibrahim Adji, Johnny T. Saduk and passengers Muchtar, Hasni, Yongky, Mrs. Halim, Wirawan, Cencen, Robby Gunawan and Subagyo Jasman. The other four victims have yet to be identified.

The bodies were flown by three special planes to the victims' home towns in Jakarta, Kupang, Semarang, Surabaya, Mataram and Bima, Merpati Airlines spokesman Benny Achmad said.

The 16-seater turboprop aircraft went missing on its way from Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, to Ruteng in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, last Tuesday.

The mutilated bodies and parts of the aircraft were found in the Molo Strait between the islands of Flores and Rinca on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10.

Search and rescue workers are yet to locate the wreckage of the plane, which had been part of the Merpati fleet for 20 years.(pan)