Search teams locate wreckage of a missing turboprop in Sulawesi, but the 10 people on board remain unaccounted for amid difficult terrain.
MAKASSAR: Rescuers have found debris from a small passenger plane that went missing in eastern Indonesia.
The 10 people on board the aircraft remain unaccounted for, officials said on Sunday.
The Indonesian Air Transport turboprop lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday afternoon.
It was flying from Yogyakarta to the city of Makassar on Sulawesi island.
The head of the Makassar search and rescue agency, Muhammad Arif Anwar, said debris believed to be from the fuselage, tail section, and windows was located.
“Our current priority is locating victims, and we hope there are still some we can evacuate in a safe condition,” Arif said at a press briefing.
He confirmed the plane crashed into Mount Bulusaraung in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, which borders Makassar.
A rescue unit has been deployed by air to search for the missing passengers.
The search operation involves more than 1,000 people from the air force, police, and volunteer groups.
Local military chief Bangun Nawoko said rescue efforts are being hindered by harsh terrain and fog.
Three government workers from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries were among those on board.
They were accompanied by seven crew members.
Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said the officials were on a mission to conduct aerial monitoring of resources in the area.
Indonesia relies heavily on air transport to connect its vast archipelago.
The country has experienced several fatal air crashes in recent years.
In September, a helicopter crash in South Kalimantan killed all eight people on board.
Less than two weeks later, four people died in another helicopter crash in Papua’s remote Ilaga district.
