Search underway for missing Indonesian plane with 11 people

Indonesian rescuers search for a missing turboprop with 11 on board after losing contact near Makassar, deploying air and land teams to a mountainous area.

MAKASSAR: Search and rescue teams are scouring a mountainous region of Indonesia for a missing passenger plane carrying 11 people.

The Indonesia Air Transport turboprop lost contact shortly after 1:00 pm local time on Saturday during a flight from Yogyakarta to Makassar on Sulawesi island.

Officials from the Makassar search and rescue agency confirmed three passengers and eight crew members were on board.

Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of the local agency, said teams were deployed to the Maros Regency area bordering Makassar near the plane’s last known location.

The search involves air force, police, and volunteer personnel operating on land and by air.

Andi Sultan, operations chief at the Makassar agency, said a helicopter and drones were being used in the effort.

Indonesia’s vast archipelago relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands.

The country has a poor aviation safety record, with several fatal crashes in recent years.

In September last year, a helicopter crash in South Kalimantan killed all eight people on board.

Another helicopter crash in Papua’s Ilaga district less than two weeks later killed four people.

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