Indonesian authorities have launched a search operation after a turboprop aircraft operated by Indonesia Air Transport went missing with 10 people on board. Officials said contact with the plane was lost shortly after 1:00 pm (0600 GMT) on Saturday. The aircraft departed Yogyakarta en route to Makassar on Sulawesi Island, carrying three employees of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and seven crew members. The ministry workers were on an official mission to conduct aerial monitoring of marine resources, Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono told a press conference.
Search and rescue teams were deployed to a mountainous area of Maros Regency, near the aircraft’s last known location, according to Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of the local search and rescue agency. He said the operation involved the air force, police and volunteers, with helicopters and drones also deployed, as confirmed by Andi Sultan, operations chief at the Makassar search and rescue agency. Aircraft manufacturer ATR said it had been informed of “an accident” involving one of its planes, adding, “ATR specialists are fully engaged to support both the investigation led by the Indonesian authorities and the operator.” Indonesia, a vast archipelago, relies heavily on air travel, though it has recorded several fatal aviation accidents in recent years.