Freeport dispatches helicopter, emergency team to recover Trigana victims

The Jakarta Post, Tue, August 18 2015,


US-based giant miner PT Freeport Indonesia has dispatched an Airfast Bel OCE 212 helicopter and an emergency response group (ERG) to help recover the bodies of victims of the Trigana Air plane crash in Oksob, Pegunungan Bintang regency, Papua, on Sunday, a search and rescue official has said.

The head of the Search and Rescue Agency (SAR) Timika, Joko Sungkowo, said that Freeport’s Airfast helicopter and a four-member ERG team had departed for Oksibil, Pegunungan Bintang, on Monday.

He said it was hoped that the involvement of the Airfast helicopter and ERG team could accelerate the recovery process of the Trigana crash victims.

“All search and rescue personnel at the SAR Timika office, are on stand-by. Once the SAR Jayapura requests us to dispatch personnel to Oksibil, we can do it immediately,” said Hendra as quoted by Antara on Tuesday.

He said that Freeport’s Airfast helicopter, which carried the ERG team to Oksibil, had taken quite a long trip to reach the incident area, forcing them to stop over in several locations for fuel.

After the crash site of the Trigana Air plane was found, it is reported that as of Tuesday morning, eight aircraft had been dispatched from both Sentani Airport in Jayapura and Oksibil Airport in Pegunungan Bintang to help recover the bodies of victims.

Jayapura Air Force Base commander Col. I Made Susila Adyana said the eight planes included a Pilatus Porter aircraft from Susi Air, a Twin Otter and an ATR aircraft from Trigana Air, a Grand Caravan aircraft from the Papua-based Associated Mission Aviation (AMA), an MI helicopter from the Indonesian Army and the Airfast Bell helicopter from Freeport.

Adyana said that on Tuesday morning, a Trigana Air ATR aircraft had been dispatched from Sentani Airport in Jayapura to carry assorted logistics to the crash site.

“Hopefully, the weather is good so that the evacuation process can happen immediately,” he said.

Separately, Pegunungan Bintang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yunus Wally confirmed that SAR teams dispatched via both air and land routes had reached the crash location of the Trigana Air plane.



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