PANGKEP, EL SKY NEWS – Joint search and rescue teams have successfully recovered the remains of two victims from the wreckage of the Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) ATR 42-500. The aircraft, carrying ten people, met a tragic end against the rugged cliffs of Mount Bulusaraung, South Sulawesi, where extreme terrain is now testing the limits of evacuation efforts.
As of Tuesday (Jan 20), the operation remains critical, with rescuers battling near-zero visibility and steep ravines to locate the remaining passengers and crew.
Deep Ravines and Difficult Discoveries
The wreckage of the aircraft, registration PK-THT, was discovered shattered across a sheer cliff face on the border of Maros and Pangkep regencies. The evacuation team, utilizing rappelling techniques, managed to locate two deceased victims amidst the debris.
The first victim, identified as male, was recovered at a depth of approximately 200 meters from the impact point. Hours later, a second victim, identified as female, was found even deeper in the ravine, roughly 500 meters from the peak. Both bodies are currently being transported for formal identification by the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) unit, though the process is agonizingly slow due to the geography of the crash site.
Nature’s Obstacles: Fog and Cliffs
Efforts to expedite the evacuation via air have been thwarted by hostile weather conditions. Rescue coordinators reported that thick fog has reduced visibility to a mere 3 to 5 meters, forcing helicopters to turn back repeatedly.
“The air evacuation route is currently impossible,” a source from the rescue team stated. Consequently, the team has shifted to a grueling ground strategy. Rescuers are forced to carry the victims’ remains manually using a relay system (estafet) down the slippery, precipitous slopes.
Technological aids provided a glimmer of hope earlier in the operation, as a signal detected from a pilot’s smartwatch helped narrow down the search area. However, the physical recovery remains a manual, high-risk endeavor.
A Race Against the Elements
With nightfall and persistent rain complicating matters, the joint team—comprising Basarnas, TNI, and Polri—has established an emergency camp near the summit. They are prepared to stay on the mountain to continue the search for the remaining eight individuals (seven crew and three passengers total) believed to be still trapped in the wreckage.
Operations are expected to resume at full intensity at first light, provided the weather on Mount Bulusaraung offers a window of opportunity. (Rahul Rezky)
