Asia-Pacific

All 27 feared dead in Indonesia plane crash

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-07 22:47

JAKARTA - Navy, police and rescue team and local community have jointly searched the missing victims of the plane crash on Saturday in Papua that may killed all the 27 people on board, officials said here on Saturday.

"Evacuation has been carried out now. It is carried out by navy, police and rescue team along with local community," Director General of Air Transport of Transport Ministry Harry Bahakti told a press conference here.

The director said that so far 17 bodies had been found.

Earlier Spokesman of the ministry Bambang Ervan said that 27 people on board may be killed.

"If we see the condition of the plane and the latest situation on the scene, all the people in the plane could have been dead," he told Xinhua by phone.

The plane operated by Merpati Nusantara Airline was on route of Sorong to Kaimana of Papua.  

The plane fell down at about 500 meters from the side of the runway, said Bahakti.

"It fell down into the sea at 14:05 local time and broke into two parts. Seventeen bodies have been found, the rest may be still on the plane as they may still be tightened with seatbelt," he said.

The director said that the Merpati Airline firm still could not give the manifest of plane, so it was still unknown the nationality of the 21 passengers.

Vice President of Public Relation of Merpati Airline Sukanto told reporters that he promised to give the manifest on Sunday.

Team of experts departed to the scene on Saturday evening to investigate the cause of the accident, said Bahakti.