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earch and rescue workers managed to reach the crash site of a Merpati airlines plane in a mountainous part of Papua province Wednesday, to find all 16 people on board dead.

Merpati Nusantara Airlines president director Bambang Bhakti said the land rescue team and local residents had arrived at the scene of the crash in hilly terrain 5.5 kilometers south of Amisibil district in Pegunungan Bintang regency, at an altitude of 2,800 meters.

"Reports from local residents and the land rescue team indicate the plane had been completely destroyed," Bambang said at Sentani Airport in Jayapura, Papua, shortly before flying back to Jakarta.

"None of the passengers or crew were found alive."

Pegunungan Bintang legislative council speaker Costan Oktemka confirmed all the people aboard the ill-fated plane had died.

The Twin Otter plane was reported missing on Sunday, on a flight from Sentani Airport to Oksibil Airport in Pegunungan Bintang, carrying three crew members and 12 passengers, including two babies.

Bambang said the evacuation of the victims' bodies would begin once an air rescue team had reached the crash site.

He added Merpati would take further steps to provide "maximum services" to the victims' families.

"We'll cover all the travel and burial expenses for the victims," he said.

Jayapura air rescue team chief Col. Suwandi Miharja said rescuers were still being prevented from reaching the area because of adverse weather conditions.

"I can't confirm yet the conditions of the plane and passengers, because I haven't received any reports from the rescue team on the ground," he said.

Suwandi, who is also the Jayapura air base commander, said thick clouds had stopped the air rescue team from landing rescuers at the crash site from a Kamov helicopter based out of Oksibil Airport for the mission.

The helicopter was forced to land the crew in the hamlet of Okbibab, from where they had to make an ascent over a mountain to join the land rescue team and begin the evacuation.

"The team departed at around 2 p.m. and was expected to arrive four hours later," Suwandi said.

He added the land rescuers were preparing a helipad for the Kamov helicopter to land near the crash site.

Evacuation efforts will continue Thursday.

The bodies of the victims will be flown to Jayapura before being sent to their families.

Suwandi said the eight-member air rescue team included a doctor in its ranks.

Back in Jayapura, seven ambulances staffed with medical personnel have been sent to Sentani Airport to prepare for the evacuation of the bodies.

Michael, a local police chief in Pegunungan Bintan, confirmed that bad weather had hampered air search and rescue efforts for a third straight day.

The team members being flown in from Oksibil had to land in Kiwirok district, he told state news agency Antara.

"We can't say just yet when the team will reach the crash location, because it all depends on the weather," Michael said.