need to know
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An Indonesian air transport plane with 11 people on board disappeared during what was supposed to be a two-hour flight
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The plane last contacted Indonesian air traffic control at 1:17 pm local time on Saturday, January 17
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Search and rescue operations are currently underway
A passenger plane with 11 people on board has gone missing in Indonesia and authorities are searching for survivors.
The Air Transport Indonesia turbine plane disappeared from radar during a two-hour flight from Yogyakarta to Makassar, the Associated Press (AP) and Indonesian state news agency Antara reported.
The small plane was carrying eight crew members and three passengers. Edy Prakoso, operations director of Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency Basarnas, said it last made contact with the air traffic control center at 1:17 pm local time, Antara reported.
Prakoso told the media that data showed the plane likely crashed in the Maros area, and 25 search and rescue personnel divided into three groups were sent to search for the wreckage.
Shutterstock/rachmatdp
An Indonesian air transport plane
According to Antara, search operations are currently underway.
Air Transport Indonesia and Basanas did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on January 17.
Hikers on Bulusaraung Mountain in South Sulawesi reported seeing scattered debris, including a sign that appeared to be consistent with Indonesian aviation, and small fires burning in the area, the Associated Press reported.
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“These sightings have been reported to the authorities and are being verified by rescue teams trying to reach the area,” Major General Bangon Nawoko, military commander of South Sulawesi province Hassandin, said in a statement, the outlet reported.
Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said in a press release that three ministry employees were on board the plane as part of a surveillance mission to support fisheries management operations in Indonesia, the Associated Press reported.
Read the original article on People
