Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has expressed his condolences over the deaths of military personnel in a helicopter crash during a wildfire response mission in Central Kalimantan and called for an expedited evacuation process.
“I have personally updated the president on the incident via a phone call. President Prabowo expressed his deepest condolences and called for maximizing the evacuation process,” Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said in a statement received in Jakarta.
Speaking at Kuala Pembuang Airport in Central Kalimantan on Friday, Antoni said authorities are continuing evacuation efforts and ensured that necessary resources are being deployed in the field.
He added that one of the current priorities is to locate Sergeant (Posthumous) Heri Teguh Prasetyo, who remains missing, while also recovering the helicopter wreckage from the muddy water.
Earlier reports confirmed that two bodies had been recovered from the crashed Mi-17V5 helicopter. They were identified as Lieutenant Colonel (Posthumous) Dudi Firmansyah and Captain (Posthumous) Nurhafiz Akbar.
The minister expressed confidence that the remaining missing victim would soon be located and the helicopter recovered using a tugboat.
“The helicopter appears to have nose-dived and become embedded in the mud,” Antoni said.
He added that a Kamov helicopter had previously attempted to lift the wreckage from the mud, noting that additional personnel from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) would be deployed to expedite the operation.
“In addition to the six divers deployed yesterday, we are mobilizing five more from Basarnas and seven from TNI AL, along with local divers. In total, around 25 divers will support the evacuation effort,” the minister said.
Antoni also assured the public that local authorities are making every effort to support the operation, which is being led by Central Kalimantan Governor Agustiar Sabran in coordination with regional police and military commanders.
“The president’s instruction is for the evacuation and rescue operation to proceed smoothly,” he concluded.
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Translator: P.T. Violleta, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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