Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is preparing two evacuation options for victims of the ATR 42-500 plane crash in the Maros-Pangkep area in South Sulawesi, Basarnas Head Mohammad Syafii said on Sunday.
He said the evacuation would be conducted by air or land, depending on operational conditions at the crash site.
"We will conduct air evacuation using a Caracal helicopter to land near the summit and evacuate victims using the hoist method. If air evacuation is not possible, a joint SAR team will proceed by land," he said.
In addition to evacuating victims, Syafii said the team would recover aircraft parts to support the air crash investigation by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).
"The evacuation is carried out not only for passengers, but also for aircraft parts needed for the KNKT investigation," he said.
The SAR operation involves personnel from Basarnas, the military, police, local government, and volunteers, supported by ground and air equipment as well as field communications technology.
Basarnas said strict weather monitoring is being conducted to ensure the safety of all personnel during the operation.
The ATR 42-500 aircraft departed Yogyakarta on January 17 at 9:08 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar at 12:22 p.m. The aircraft was later reported to have lost contact.
On the second day of operations, the Joint SAR Team found aircraft debris near the slopes of Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park in Pangkajene Islands Regency.
On Sunday, the team found the body of a victim in a ravine about 200 meters deep, surrounded by aircraft debris.
