BAD WEATHER HAMPERING TWIN OTTER EVACUATION EFFORT IN PAPUA

Jayapura, Papua, Aug 5 (ANTARA) - Bad weather is hampering the efforts of a Search and Rescue (SAR) team to evacuate the victims of a Twin Otter plane crash in Pegunungan Bintang District, Papua, early Wednesday.

Thus, eight SAR team members who were flown by Kamov helicopter from Oksibil are currently halted in the Kiwirok area, the local police chief said here Wednesday.

Chief of the Pegunungan Bintang police precinct, Michael, when contacted from Jayapura confirmed that the SAR team was still halted at Kiwirok due to bad weather.

"We have can not yet say when the team can reach the crash location because it all depends on the weather," the police chief said.

Michael said further, although the SAR team had not yet reached the crash site, a number of local residents, accompanied by Army evacuation personnel, had almost arrived at the location.

The 8-man SAR team , including a doctor, would fly in a Kamov helicopter to the accident site to carry out an evacuation effort, Col. Suwandi, commander of the Sentani airbase, said here on Tuesday.

The ill-fated aircraft belonging to Merpati Airline carrying 12 passengers and three crew members was reported missing in a flight from Sentani to Oksibil on Sunday (Aug. 2).

The second day of the search for the ill-fated Twin Otter, was stopped at around 4.00 pm local time amid bad weather in Pegunugan Bintang district, a rescue team member said.

The plane was believed to have crashed after hitting a mountain in the Amisibil area, Pegunungan Bintang district.

Pilot Erick and Mark of the AMA (Associated Mission Aviation) found the location of the Twin Otter which crashed in a high altitude area, at 6.25 am local time.