PK-IWS Helicopter Crashes In Mimika, SAR Deploys 2 Helicopters To Evacuate

The Timika Search and Rescue Office (SAR) deployed two helicopters to help evacuate PK-IWS (ANTARA) helicopter passengers.

TIMIKA - Timika Search and Rescue Office (SAR) deployed two helicopters to help evacuate PT Intan Angkasa's PK-IWS helicopter passengers who had an accident in the Jila District, Mimika Regency, Central Papua on Wednesday, September 10.

Head of the Timika SAR Office I Wayan Suyatna in Timika, said a helicopter belonging to PT Intan Angkasa had been flown to the location from Mozes Kilangin Timika Airport at around 06.10 WIT this morning.

"This morning we flew a helicopter there to carry out observations or surveys first. After that, we will evacuate the victims, hopefully they can be found safe," said Wayan Suyatna.

The evacuation efforts of the PK-IWS helicopter victims will also involve a Caracal Helicopter unit belonging to the Indonesian Air Force.

Wayan has not been able to confirm the condition of the four people who are in the PK-IWS helicopter, including the pilot.

The location of the crash of the ill-fated helicopter was known from an aerial photo taken by PT Intan Angkasa's PK-IWD helicopter on Wednesday (10/9) afternoon, at an altitude of about 11,000 feet.

"From the air photos shown, it looks like the location is in a forest area, not so mountainous. Hopefully there will be community settlements around it so that people can help the victims," said Wayan, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, September 11.

The team involved in evacuating victims of the Intan Angkasa helicopter crash was not only from the Timika SAR Office, but also from the Yohanis Air Force Base Kapiyau Timika, Mimika Police, UPBU Mozes Kilangin Timika and other potential SAR.

"The weather conditions in Timika this morning are quite sunny, we hope that all of our efforts to evacuate the victims can run smoothly and there are no obstacles," said Wayan.

On Wednesday (10/9) morning, two helicopters belonging to PT Intan Angkasa, namely PK-IWD Helicopters and PK-IWS Helicopters flew from Ilaga to Timika.

The PK-IWD helicopter flew 10 minutes earlier than the PK-IWS helicopter.

The two helicopter pilots had communicated but were intermittent.

Communication activity of PK-IWS helicopter pilots was also caught by radar in Sentani, Jayapura. Initially, it was suspected that the helicopter made an emergency landing due to bad weather conditions.

However, after being confirmed again, it turned out that the PK-IWS helicopter had an accident.

"This is confirmed visually by PK-IWD helicopter belonging to PT Intan Angkasa," said Head of the Timika Operations and SAR Alert Section Charles Y Batlajery.