Bodies of all passengers on crashed flight Trigana IL-257 found

The crash site is a thick jungle. (Source: VNA)

Search and rescue teams have accounted for all 54 bodies of passengers on flight Trigana IL-257, according to information released by the Indonesian Ministry of Transport.

The flight, using plane ATR42-300, was carrying 49 passengers and five crew members on its way from from Jayapura, the capital city of Papua, to Oksibil, a mountainous district in Papua, when it crashed into the mountains in Indonesia’s eastern province of Papua on August 16.

Talking to the press, ministry spokesperson J. A. Barata said there were no survivors and all 54 dead bodies had been found, including five children, and transferred to Jayapura for identification.

Minister of Transport Ignatius Jonan met with families of victims at the Emergency Centre at the Sentani Airport to offer comfort.

On the same day, the rescue team recovered the plane’s black box.

Minister Ignatius Jonan pledged he would examine all flight procedures to determine the cause of the crash as soon as possible and coordinate with functional agencies to adequately resolve passenger issues, including insurance payouts.-VNA