Indonesian rescuers locate one body and wreckage from a crashed turboprop with 10 people, as search continues in difficult terrain on Sulawesi.
MAKASSAR: Rescuers found debris and one body on Sunday from a small plane that crashed in eastern Indonesia with 10 people on board.
The Indonesian Air Transport turboprop lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday afternoon while flying from Yogyakarta to Makassar on Sulawesi island.
Among the debris, the joint search team found what is believed to be “the fuselage, the tail section, and the windows”, local official Muhammad Arif Anwar said.
The body of one male victim was found on a steep mountain slope in the same area, according to Arif, head of the Makassar search and rescue agency.
“One male victim was found… at a depth of roughly 200 meters in the ravine and near aircraft debris,” he told a press briefing.
Another local rescue official, Andi Sultan, confirmed a body had been recovered, saying the remains would be evacuated on Monday due to poor weather.
A unit was also deployed by air to search for the missing passengers.
The plane crashed into Mount Bulusaraung in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, which borders the city of Makassar.
Three government workers from the ministry of marine affairs and fisheries were on board along with seven crew members.
Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said the employees were on a mission to conduct aerial monitoring of resources in the area.
The search on land and by air involved more than 1,000 people including members of the air force, police and volunteers.
Local military chief Bangun Nawoko said the search was hindered by harsh terrain and fog.
Indonesia relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands and has a poor aviation safety record.
In September, a helicopter carrying eight people crashed shortly after takeoff in South Kalimantan province, killing all on board.
Less than two weeks later, four people were killed when their helicopter crashed in the remote Papua district of Ilaga.
