Search launched for Bouraq crash victims
JAKARTA (JP): Search and rescue teams began their journey yesterday to Mount Komawa in Fakfak, Irian Jaya, where a Bouraq HS 748 plane with 10 people aboard crashed last Wednesday.
An official at the Bouraq office in Jakarta told The Jakarta Post that the operation was being hampered by bad weather.
"The weather was bad over there. We have reports that even the helicopter is commuting back and forth because of the weather conditions," said Agam Supriatno last night.
Due to the harsh conditions, as of last night there had been no confirmation on whether any survivors had been found or even if the search and rescue team had successfully reached the site of the wreckage.
Search and rescue teams were launched yesterday. One helicopter was heading directly to the crash site while the other was to attempt to reach the site from the other side of the mountain, which is located not far from the sea.
"I'm sorry we can't give any further information. Even the families of the passengers and crew are waiting for information from us," Agam added.
The special PT Istana Samudera Indonesia charter flight from Tual on the island of Kuai Kecil in the Banda Sea was heading to Adi island and the city of Kaimana in the Fakfak regency.
On board the two-engine propeller plane were Captains Herizal Mahmud, Faturachman and Achmad Mualis, technician Hakim, stewardesses Emilia and Poppy, passengers Harli Octavianus, the chief representative of Bouraq Airline in Tual, Febby Samuel, director of PT Istana Samudera Indonesia, along with security officers Hendra Halim and Hartadi.
As reported by Antara from Kaimana, Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto was scheduled to arrive at Kaimana airport to help supervise the evacuation of the victims.
The plane has been missing for several days, with the vast area and density of the Irian Jaya jungle making it difficult to locate the plane.
Two airplanes flying over the area two days after the crash were able to pick up signals from the plane's Emergency Locator Beacon, though search efforts could not pinpoint the exact location.
Not until Sunday evening was the wreckage sighted by search planes flying near the peak of the 2,800-meter high Mount Komawa.
Despite being missing for nearly one week, Fakfak regent Suparlan Pasambuna still expressed hope of finding survivors.
As quoted by Antara, Suparlan said the position of the plane, whose nose is lodged in the mountain, and the fact that parts of the fuselage are still intact offered some optimism on the fate of the survivors. (mds)