Three plane crash victims identified

Three plane crash victims identified

JAKARTA (JP): Of the seven bodies that were badly mutilated in
the crash of a Merpati Nusantara Airlines plane in the Molo
Strait, East Nusa Tenggara, three have been identified.

Merpati spokesman Agus Soedjono said here yesterday that
certain bodily remains belonged to co-pilot Lovi Ibrahim,
airborne mechanic Johnny Tjuikaang Saduk and passenger Mrs.
Halim.

A search and rescue team worked through the night to locate
the wreckage of the 16-seater turboprop Twin Otter that crashed
into the 50 meter deep strait on its way from Bima to Ruteng with
14 people aboard on Tuesday morning.

The bodies were found scattered on the beach of the western
tip of the Flores island, together with bits of the ill-fated
plane that had been in the Merpati fleet since 1974.

Accounts in local and international press reports have
conflicted as to the number of victims and whether the wreckage
has been located.

A major Jakarta newspaper reported yesterday that the bodies
of the victims and the plane wreckage had been found in the
strait between the Rinca and Flores island.

But Agus said yesterday that up to yesterday evening, only
seven bodies had been recovered and the wreckage had yet to be
found.

The cause of the accident is also still a matter of
speculation. Merpati president Ridwan Fatarudin said either bad
weather or an explosion due to mechanical failure may have caused
the accident.

The Armed Forces (ABRI) has reportedly sent in frogmen to the
strait in the hopes of finding the plane wreckage and the rest of
the victims.

The massive search operations involve ABRI, the police,
residents, a Nomad plane from the navy, one helicopter and two of
Merpati's light planes. (pan/icn)