Pilot's body still inside wrecked plane

A Search and Rescue Team (SAR) was still trying on Sunday to extract the body of one of the victims of a plane crash that occurred the previous day in Bintan, Riau.

Antara reported that the evacuation process has been ongoing for approximately 19 hours since the Cassa 212 plane, belonging to PT Sabang Merauke Air Charter (PT SMAC), crashed in the Kampung Kampe forest, Malang Rapat village.

“Puddles of water and avtur [plane fuel] inside the damaged aircraft are obstacles in evacuating the bodies of victims who were crushed inside,” head of the Tanjungpinang SAR office, Bambang Subagyo said. The body of pilot Fadlul Karim was the only one left to extract. The already extracted bodies include that of co-pilot Richard Bakalow, crew members Suroto and Hendro Susanto, and technician Syahrul Nasution.

Bambang said the plane was buried 2.5 meters deep in the mud in headfirst position.

The team feared using machinery in the process might induce an explosion due to the fuel leak.