Evacuation of Victims of Helicopter Crash in Sekadau West Kalimantan Continued Tomorrow

JAKARTA - The joint search team decided to postpone the evacuation process of the victim of the PT Matthew Air helicopter with registration number PK-CFX until tomorrow, Friday (17/4), due to the terrain conditions and limited visibility at the location of the helicopter crash in Sekadau.

"The team is already at the location of the helicopter crash. However, due to the dark conditions and the steep terrain, evacuation has not been possible tonight," said Kabagops of the Sekadau Police, AKP Sugiyanto in Nanga Taman, Friday, April 16, reported by ANTARA.

He said a joint team consisting of the TNI, Basarnas, BPBD, Forest Police (LTH), Sekadau Forest Management Unit (KPH), firefighters, and local residents had managed to reach the location of the incident (TKP).

Sugiyanto explained that the team is currently camping or bivouac about 50 meters from the location of the helicopter crash in Nanga Taman District, Sekadau Regency, West Kalimantan while waiting for more favorable conditions in the morning.

"We bivouac first on the hill. Tomorrow morning the evacuation will be carried out using equipment that has now begun to be sent to the location," he said.

Previously, the Head of the Pontianak Search and Rescue Office (Kansar) I Made Junetra ensured that the joint team would continue to maximize search and evacuation efforts after the indication of finding helicopter debris from aerial monitoring results.

"After the briefing, we received initial information about debris at the identified coordinate point. However, this is still based on observations from the air," said Junetra.

He said that aerial searches had been carried out two to three times to confirm the location, but the operation depended heavily on weather conditions and flight safety.

The ground team, led by the on-scene commander (OSC) from Sintang, has also moved closer to the location despite facing a difficult terrain with steep cliffs and dense vegetation.

"The team in the field continues to try to approach the coordinate point even though the terrain conditions are quite challenging," he said.

Basarnas has also coordinated with various parties, including the police for the readiness of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team, as well as preparing hospital and ambulance support as a precautionary measure.

In addition, the main post has been opened in Pontianak to facilitate coordination and information services to the victims' families.

The Airbus H130 type helicopter is known to carry eight people, consisting of Captain Marindra W as the pilot, Harun Arasyd as the co-pilot, and six passengers, namely Patrick K, Victor T, Charles L, Joko C, Fauzie O, and Sugito.

Based on the chronology, the helicopter took off from the PT CMA helipad in Nanga Keruap Village, Melawi Regency, at 07.34 WIB and was reported missing at 08.39 WIB while in flight to the PT GAN helipad in Teluk Bakung Village, Sungai Ambawang, Kubu Raya Regency.

Until this news was released, the evacuation process was still waiting for implementation the next day by prioritizing the safety of all personnel in the field.