DEBRIS BELIEVED TO BE MISSING ATR 42-500 FOUND ON BULUSARAUNG HILL - MAKASSAR SAR TEAM

JAKARTA, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- Large debris believed to be from a missing ATR 42-500 aircraft has been discovered on Bulusaraung Hill in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, Sunday morning, near the area where the patrol aircraft was reported to have lost contact with air traffic control. 

Makassar search and rescue (SAR) operations chief Andi Sultan said the SAR ground team located the debris suspected to be the fuselage and tail sections of the aircraft at 7.49 am local time.

“The debris were found on a slope, on the southern side, in the lower section of the hillside,” he said in a video shared to the media on Sunday.

The Indonesian Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry confirmed that the missing aircraft is its patrol aircraft. The plane is operated by Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) and registered as PK-THT.

The aircraft carrying seven crew and three passengers was reported to have lost contact with air traffic control around noon on Saturday over Maros District en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar.

Andi said following the discovery, a team was dispatched to the site, but the team’s descend to the location of the fuselage has been made difficult by the steep terrain.

He added that approximately 500 personnel are currently on standby to assist in the ongoing SAR.

As of the latest update, the fate of the 10 persons on board remains unclear.

-- BERNAMA