Sulawesi: Indonesian rescue teams on Sunday confirmed the discovery of debris from a fisheries surveillance aircraft that disappeared a day earlier in South Sulawesi, though efforts to locate the 11 people believed to be on board are still underway.
The turboprop aircraft, an ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport, lost communication with air traffic control on Saturday afternoon while flying over the Maros area. The plane had been chartered by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to carry out routine aerial monitoring activities.
Officials said the aircraft was travelling to Makassar, the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, after departing from Yogyakarta when contact was abruptly severed around 1:30 pm local time. On board were eight crew members and three ministry officials.
Search teams reported finding scattered pieces of the aircraft near Mount Bulusaraung early Sunday. According to South Sulawesi rescue authorities, fragments including a plane window and larger structural sections believed to be part of the fuselage and tail were spotted along the mountain’s slopes.
Rescue agency official Andi Sultan said aerial teams first identified debris shortly before 8 am, prompting ground units to move into the rugged area. The search, however, has been complicated by dense fog, strong winds and steep terrain.
“We are facing difficult conditions, but our teams are working to reach the locations where the wreckage was sighted,” Sultan said.
The head of the provincial search and rescue agency, Muhammad Arif Anwar, said around 1,200 personnel would be involved in the operation as authorities intensify efforts to locate survivors. “Our main focus is finding the passengers and crew, and we remain hopeful,” he told local media.
Video footage released by rescuers showed aircraft parts strewn across the mountainside, partially obscured by heavy mist.
Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee is expected to take charge of the crash investigation once recovery operations allow. The cause of the incident has not yet been determined.
The ATR 42-500 is a regional aircraft designed to carry up to 50 passengers and is commonly used for short-haul and special-purpose flights. Flight-tracking data indicated the plane had been flying at low altitude, limiting radar coverage, with its final signal recorded northeast of Makassar.
Rescue operations are set to continue as weather conditions permit.
