Burning Aircraft In Papua Triggered By TNPB Provocation To Residents, Passengers And Pilots Congratulations

Airplane crash illustration. (Ridwan Triatmodjo / ANTARA)

JAKARTA - A twin-air Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) aircraft was set on fire by a group of people claiming to be part of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TNPB).

Luckily, the seven passengers and pilots in the incident that took place in Biandoga District, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua, Wednesday, January 6 yesterday, survived.

Head of Information at the Joint Defense Areas Command III (Kapen Kogabwilhan III) Colonel Czi IGN Suriastawa said the incident started with a provocation.

"It was provoked by the community, there were OPM members who provoked the incident," he explained in Jakarta, Thursday, January 7.

The plane was originally about to take off from Kampung Pagamba Airport to Nabire Regency. However, due to bad weather the flight was delayed. This thing that made passengers angry was triggered by TNPB provocation to residents

"After that (after being postponed) going to leave, the people who were riding came in, made people worried, increased the number of passengers and made noise," he explained.

They then attacked the pilot and the passengers. But the victims survived after local church leaders took them to safety. But the plane they were about to board was destroyed by fire.

MAF Base Manager Nabire Paul Iswanto confirmed the burning incident of the plane on Wednesday. Paul said the pilot and passenger were safe. "But they are still traumatized," he said in Nabire Regency, Papua, today.

Meanwhile, Wakapolres Nabire, Kompol Samuel Tatiratu, said that he was still waiting for an official report from the members who were dispatched to the scene.