JAKARTA - The year 2021 has just entered its ninth day, when the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 plane crashed in the waters around Lancang Island and Laki Island. Search and rescue (SAR) efforts were made. This tragedy prompted many parties to join the humanitarian circle at the Jakarta International International Container Terminal (JICT). We were there, on the third day of the SAR operation, to see how the synergy was formed and supported each other.

Monday, January 12, we arrived at the JICT 2 post, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta. In the morning at 09.30 WIB, the surrounding scenery is full of activity. The JICT port operates as usual, including a number of tools and equipment used in the loading and unloading process, including the Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) machine which makes a loud noise, as you will hear in our reporting process.

JICT 1 is opposite where we are standing at JICT 2 (Detha Arya Tifada / VOI)

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The Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 SAR operation point is at JICT 2 pier, precisely opposite the JICT port which is full of loading and unloading activities with all its equipment. On the dockside of JICT 2, the Kurau Republic of Indonesia Battleship (KRI) is leaning. The TNI soldiers simultaneously saluted the ship. They released KRI Kurau to carry out the task of combing the waters around Lancang Island and Male Island.

One hour after the departure of KRI Kurau, the ship belonging to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), KN Basudewa took turns leaning. The ship appeared to be carrying a number of findings from the SAR operation. Basarnas Operations Director Brigadier General TNI (Mar) Rasman stood at the center of the pier moments later, providing updates for us and the other media crews present.

There is a bag containing body parts of the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 victim. All these findings, said Rasman, would be sent to the National Police's Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team to be identified. "Then we will leave it to the DVI team and the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) for further processing," said Rasman.

With the addition of one bag, in total at that time the joint team had collected 19 bags of victim's body parts and ten bags of shrapnel from the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 aircraft. The last thing that was conveyed by the authorities to close the press conference was for all parties to remain aware of the potential for COVID-19 transmission.

Synergy answered the challenge
Command posts scattered in the middle of the JICT SAR operation center (Detha Arya Tifada / VOI)

No tragedy is easy to deal with. In the context of a fatal flight accident, the SAR operation this time has different challenges. The pandemic, however, is not over. SAR operations have become more challenging.

A row of posts seen at JICT. TNI, Polri, Basarnas, Baznas and many volunteers also attended. We toured the posts to find out how this synergy works. The first is the DKI Baznas post.

We met Ahmad Sholeh, a DKI Baznas field officer. According to Sholeh, Baznas was here to support the work of the joint team involved in SAR operations. In the first and second day of the SAR operation, Baznas also had time to field a team and a boat. On the mainland, posts were intentionally established to accommodate volunteer interests.

"Because of this incident, we then deployed a team of volunteers to help the evacuation process as well as others from related parties from Basarnas, BPBD. We only support it, in terms of equipment, in terms of capability, we only support it. We serve volunteers on duty and we alleviate them in terms of accommodation, food, all kinds of things we help, "said Sholeh.

Apart from Baznas, Telkom Indonesia was also present. This state-owned company supports information and communication needs. Teguh from the Government Service Division explained that Telkom's role in this operation includes the availability of communication networks on ships used for evacuation. Telkom also ensures the stability of the communication network at the JICT 2 Posko.

"Telkom has partnered with Basarnas, TNI AL. We support all kinds of communication networks, especially for the ships of the Indonesian Navy and Basarnas through a satellite mechanism, "Teguh said.

Regarding efforts to prevent the transmission of the corona virus in the middle of a SAR operation, the Koja District Health Center opened a health post. They provide a free COVID-19 antigen swab test service specifically for volunteers and journalists.

VOI journalist Detha Arya Tifada performs an antigen test swab (Diah Ayu Wardhani / VOI)

In addition to the COVID-19 antigen swab test, the Koja Subdistrict Health Center also records people. This is done as part of the tracing mechanism. This makes sense. At the JICT 2 post, which we occupied, crowds were inevitable.

On the other side of this human circle, there is also Ruffaidah Humanity Care. They are here to provide food and drink for officers, volunteers and media crews. One field officer we interviewed as anonymous on the ground said:

In activities at JICT, we focus on volunteering. We focus on maintaining volunteers because we don't have an evacuation team. So, we try to focus on medical and nursing. More to healthy food and logistics for volunteer friends. Today we bring the food in the form of healthy drinks. Continue to snack for volunteer friends.

Ruffaidah Humanity Care is not the only volunteer group. There is also the Indonesia Escorting Ambulance (IEA) Depok Chapter. The group of motorcyclists played the role of escorting an ambulance containing body parts from Tanjung Priok to the National Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

An IEA member, Titan Fikri, said what they were doing was an effort to get the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 victims to get to the DVI Polri team quickly. That way, identification can be done immediately.

Indonesia Escorting Ambulance (Detha Arya Tifada / VOI)
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