REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto said National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has found the coordinate point of Lion Air flight JT 610 which crashed in the waters of Karawang Regency, West Java on last Monday (Oct 29). He asserted TNI will help to ascertain the coordinate.
“This morning I got information from Basarnas head that there is a strong indication of fuselage (part of plane body) of Lion Air flight JT 610,” said Hadi on Wednesday (Oct 31).
However, he has not mentioned the exact coordinate point. Hadi said the Navy and Basarnas will search for the fuselage in the coordinate first.
“If we found the fuselage, the evacuation process would be easier,” Hadi added.
Also read: Foreign assistance not needed in Lion Air search: Basarnas
To help the search process of Lion Air flight JT 610, TNI had also deployed KRI Riget, including from Geosurvey. Hadi joined the team to monitor directly evacuation process tha is being carried out.
“The search will be focused on one point that has been determined, to make sure whether it was really part of JT 610 on the seabed,” Hadi explained.
The authorities try to identified belongings of passengers of Lion Air flight JT 610 found in Tanjung Karawang waters, West Java, at JICT 2, Tanjung Priok Port, Jakarta, Wednesday (Oct 31).
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Wiranto expected the black box of Lion Air flight JT 610 to be found as soon as possible. He said through the finding, investigation process of the accident can be accelerated.
“Find the black box immediately, so we can know the cause of accident and what should we do for the next step,” said Wiranto on Tuesday (Oct 30).
Aircraft type B737-8 Max with Flight Number JT 610 owned by Lion Air was flying from Soekarno Hatta Airport in Banten to Depati Amir Airport in Pangkalpinang and was reported to have lost contact on Oct 29 at around 06:33 WIB (Indonesia West Standard Time). The aircraft, which bore the registration number PK-LQP, was reportedly last sighted on radar at coordinates 05 46.15 S - 107 07.16 E.
The aircraft departed at 06:10. WIB and was scheduled to arrive in Pangkal Pinang at 07.10 WIB. The plane had requested a return to base before finally disappearing from the radar.
Basarnas has ensured that JT 610 Lion Air crashed in the waters of Karawang Regency, West Java. Victims of the aircraft crash will be evacuated to the East Jakarta Police Hospital.