Rescue teams recovered a second victim, an unidentified woman, from the wreckage of an Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42-500 that disappeared from radar on Jan. 17 while flying from Yogyakarta to Makassar. A male victim was found a day earlier on the slope of Mount Bulusaraung about 200 meters down. Wreckage—including fuselage parts, passenger seats and a suspected engine—has been located; officials say the aircraft likely went down over Maros District. Twenty-five SAR officers are searching the area; eight people remain missing.
Second Victim Recovered After Indonesia Air ATR 42-500 Crash; Eight Still Missing
Muchtamir Zaide / AFP via GettyA search and rescue personnel carries the wreckage of an Indonesian Air Transport turboprop aircraft, a day after it crashed while en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar, at Mount Bulusaraung in South Sulawesi on Jan. 18
Rescue teams in Indonesia recovered a second victim from the wreckage of an Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42-500 that crashed on Jan. 17, authorities said. The newly found body, described by officials as a woman whose identity has not yet been released, was located on Monday, Jan. 19.
The discovery follows the recovery of a man’s body on Sunday, Jan. 18. Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of Makassar’s Search and Rescue Office, confirmed the male victim was found roughly 200 meters down the slope of Mount Bulusaraung amid scattered debris, the Associated Press reported.
“One more victim has been found… according to the information we received, the victim was a woman,” Mohammad Syafii, head of the national search-and-rescue agency Basarnas, told reporters, according to AFP.
Officials say the small turboprop vanished from radar while en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar on what was meant to be a two-hour flight. The aircraft was carrying 11 people in total: eight crew members and three passengers. The plane’s last recorded contact with air traffic control was at 1:17 p.m. local time on Jan. 17, Basarnas officials said.
Basarnas/Anadolu via GettyIndonesian search and rescue personnel in the Mount Bulusaraung area of South Sulawesi after debris from a missing ATR 42-500 aircraft was found on Jan. 19
Recovery teams have located wreckage and victims on and around Mount Bulusaraung. Rescuers reported finding fuselage fragments, passenger seats and what is believed to be one engine from the ATR 42-500. Edy Prakoso, director of operations at Basarnas, said data indicate the aircraft likely went down over the Maros District.
To support the search and recovery effort on steep and rugged terrain, authorities deployed 25 search-and-rescue officers divided into three groups to comb the suspected impact area and surrounding slopes. The search continues for eight people who remain unaccounted for.
Indonesia Air Transport and Basarnas did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Jan. 19. Indonesian news agency Antara, the Associated Press and AFP have been reporting on the ongoing recovery operation.
What Happened Next
Local teams continue to focus on locating additional wreckage and recovering any remaining victims, while investigators will later work to establish the crash’s cause once the site is secured and more evidence is recovered.
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