MAKASSAR, Legal Literacy — Agency National for Search and Rescue (Basarnas) officially closed the search and evacuation operation for victims of the ATR 42-500 aircraft crash that crashed on Mount Bulusaraung, Pangkep Regency, South Sulawesi. The SAR operation was declared complete on Friday (23/1/2026) evening after the team found the wreckage of the plane and all the victims.
Head of Basarnas RI, Air Vice Marshal TNI Mohammad Syafii, said the decision to stop was taken based on an evaluation meeting after the seventh day of searching.
“Tonight, as the Head of the National SAR Agency and SAR Coordinator, I declare that the search and evacuation operation for the ATR 42-500 aircraft accident is officially complete,” Syafii said in a press conference in Makassar, Friday (23/1/2026).
Operation Closed, Basarnas Remains on Alert
Syafii emphasized that the closure of the SAR operation does not mean that Basarnas is stopping all tasks at the location. Basarnas will carry out follow-up operations in the form of routine preparedness operations if there are reports from the public regarding the discovery of residual body parts of victims.
“The preparedness operation is aimed at if there are reports from the public that they have found a body pack… then it is Basarnas' obligation to carry out the operation,” he said.
According to Syafii, the standby operation does not have a time limit because the discovery of body parts can occur at any time. He assured that Basarnas remains ready to respond to any new information, with findings to be submitted to the National Police's Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team for the identification process.
10 Victims Found, Identification Still in Progress
Syafii mentioned that the joint SAR team has found 10 victims in deceased condition. In the field, the team evacuated 11 body pack all of which have been handed over to the National Police's DVI.
"The Head of Operations Bureau (South Sulawesi Regional Police) conveyed that all body packs submitted were identified as different body parts," said Syafii.
Based on DVI's information, 11 body pack were confirmed to be from 10 bodies. However, the victim identification process is still ongoing. Syafii stated that the condition of the victims found was relatively intact, even though the plane was in a broken condition.
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