Indonesian plane goes missing with 15 people on board
The two-engine police aircraft is believed to have crashed between the Islands of Mensanak and Sebangka or Gentar.
An Indonesian plane has reportedly gone missing during its flight from Pangkal Pinang on the island of Bangka to the island of Batam in south Singapore. There were 15 people on board the two-engine police plane, reported Reuters. It too off at 9.30 am on Saturday.
A police report said the flight might have crashed between the Islands of Mensanak and Sebangka or Gentar. A search team has recovered seats, luggage and documents, believed to be from the aircraft. “We found debris,” Bambang Soelistyo, chief of Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency, said. Though there have been no reports of survivors, Soelistyo said it was too soon to rule out the possibility.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said the last known radar position of the aircraft was around 40 nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Pinang, reported The Guardian. “With clearance from the Indonesian authorities, one SuperPuma helicopter and one Fokker 50 are currently on scene supporting the Indonesians to locate the aircraft,” a statement said, adding that two ships were also awaiting clearance by the local administration to assist in the search-and-rescue efforts.