Kabasarnas ensures the title of Weather Modification Operation for the Search for Victims of the ATR Aircraft Crash

MAKASSAR - Weather modification operations are one of the options to help search for victims of the ATR 42-500 aircraft accident belonging to Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) on Mount Bulusaraung, Pangkajene Kepulauan Regency (Pangkep), South Sulawesi.

"This weather condition is also (extreme) and we have coordinated. Hopefully we can carry out weather modification operations, so that it can help accelerate the implementation of the SAR operation," said Head of Basarnas, Major General TNI Mohammad Syafii, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, January 19.

Syafii revealed that the SAR operation lasted for three days and still faced obstacles, namely extreme weather and difficult terrain conditions faced by the search team. The operation, which involved more than 1,200 personnel, was focused on carrying out the search, finding and evacuating the victims.

"Our priority is to carry out SAR using air means, because the distance from the location to the airport is very close. However, because of the weather, the aircraft is not optimal for us to operate," said the Assistant Staff Officer of the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Air Force.

The commander of the Air Staff and Command School of the Air Force even said that he had added air force elements that had been operating since this morning, including using the Boeing aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force to carry out air surveillance.

Then, a helicopter was followed up to deploy a team of rescuers who had special abilities, as well as helicopter assistance from the South Sulawesi Police and Basarnas brought from Surabaya to strengthen the search. However, the extreme weather conditions hampered the operation.

According to him, during this 'golden time', it is hoped that there will be a miracle and the joint SAR team who are fighting in the field will be able to find all the victims.

"Because we believe that certainty belongs only to God. As long as we haven't really found it, we will definitely pursue it in the existing period," said the Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the TNI.

Regarding some parts or aircraft properties that have been found, of course it will be handed over to the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT). From KNKT later explain what parts and functions are, and whether it will later become a subject of investigation.

"Our focus is on the search for victims. From the team in the field, we have indeed found the victim. However, due to the weather conditions and the terrain, this evacuation cannot be brought to the hospital (Biddokes Post) which has been designated by the National Police as the DVI team," he emphasized.

The former head of the TNI AU Education Service also asked for prayers and support from the public so that the search for all the victims could be found immediately. In addition, the team has tried to deploy its capabilities to the fullest extent in the search operation.

His party appreciates the work of the joint SAR team who worked hard for less than 24 hours to find the location and two victims of the plane incident.

On the third day of the SAR operation, the joint SAR team again found one female victim in the ravine of Mount Bulusaraung at a depth of 50 meters from the peak. A day earlier, the team found the body of a male victim on the slope of the ravine. The number of victims was recorded at 10 people on the doomed plane.