All victims from the missing Indonesian plane that crashed in the Mount Bulusaraung area of South Sulawesi have now been recovered, ending seven days of intense and emotional search efforts.
The final body was found on Friday morning, bringing closure to a week-long operation that gripped the nation. The discovery confirmed that all 10 people on board the aircraft lost their lives in the unexpected tragedy.
Speaking on the development, Andi Sultan, an official of the National Search and Rescue Agency in Makassar, confirmed the recovery.
He said the last victim was located after continuous ground searches in the mountainous terrain.
According to him, eight victims had been found earlier in the week, while two more were recovered on Friday. The aircraft, an ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport, had vanished from radar while flying from Yogyakarta to Makassar.
It went missing in the Maros district of South Sulawesi. However, debris from the aircraft was discovered a day later, confirming fears of a crash. The plane was carrying officials from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. They were on an aerial surveillance mission to monitor regional marine resources.
Therefore, the crash has raised serious concerns about safety and operational risks in surveillance flights. So far, only two victims have been formally identified. They are cabin crew member Florencia Lolita and Deden Maulana.
Meanwhile, efforts to identify the remaining victims are still ongoing through forensic examinations.
Confirming the rescue progress, Andi Sultan said:
“Eight of the dead were recovered earlier this week by rescue forces searching the slopes of Mount Bulusarong on Sulawesi island. Two more were found this morning.”
Moreover, the plane’s black box has already been recovered from the crash site by the joint rescue team. In addition, authorities stated that the aircraft was carrying seven crew members and three passengers.
However, harsh weather conditions, difficult terrain, and poor visibility slowed rescue efforts in the early days. Despite this, search teams continued operations without pause.
Meanwhile, families of the victims have begun receiving official notifications, as support teams provide assistance and counselling.
Therefore, attention is now shifting from rescue operations to investigation and accountability.
