SAR Team Finds Personal Belongings of Victims of Aircraft Crash {esawat ATR 42-500 

MAKASSAR - A joint SAR team has found a number of personal belongings belonging to the victims of the ATR 42-500 plane crash during the third day of the SAR operation at the scene, the Bulusaraung Mountain area, Pangkajene Kepulauan Regency (Pangkep), South Sulawesi (South Sulawesi).

"The team found various items suspected to belong to the victim. Starting from personal documents, wallets, notebooks, identities (KTP) to electronic items," said Head of the Makassar Class A Basarnas Office Muhammad Arif Anwar as reported by ANTARA, Monday, January 19.

As SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC), he said the finding was obtained from the results of intensive search by the ground team in the extreme path between the peak and Pos 9 climbing route.

"In addition (to the victim's personal belongings), several parts of the plane were also found, such as life rafts and fire signals, around the head of the plane," said Arif.

He explained that all the items and parts of the aircraft that were found had been secured, recorded, and marked their coordinates according to the procedure. This finding is an important clue to narrow down the search area and determine the next steps in the evacuation process.

"The field at the scene is very steep and high risk. The search process is carried out with special techniques, including repling and opening lanes, so it takes time, accuracy, and strong coordination between elements," he said.

Previously, the Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Mohammad Syafi'i appreciated the hard work of all the joint SAR teams who continued to work in the midst of limitations and extreme natural conditions.

"The discovery of the victim's belongings and parts of the plane shows that the joint SAR team is very close to the crucial points. This is the result of hard work, discipline, and collaboration of all elements in the field," he said.

Syafii added that weather and natural conditions are still the main challenges in SAR operations. Thick fog, steep terrain, and rapid weather changes often hinder movement, both from the air and land.

"Despite facing major challenges, the joint SAR team continues to work to the maximum by prioritizing the safety of personnel. This operation continues to be carried out professionally and measured until the entire search and evacuation process can be completed," he said.

Basarnas stated that every development in the SAR operation will be officially conveyed to the public. The public is urged not to speculate and entrust the search process entirely to the joint SAR team.

On the third day of the SAR operation, the joint SAR team again found one victim of the female gender 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.