Lodewijk said that as a result of imposition of civil emergency, the police will assume the authorities in Papua. The House also fully supports police operation to find the missing Susi Air pilot.
Susi Air’s Pilatus Porter PC 6/PK-BVY lost contact on Tuesday (7/2) at 6.35am WIT at Paro district airport while conducting regular flight from Timika to Paro. Susi Air found the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was still active at 9.12am WIB.
The airline then responded with an emergency by sending another plane to check the position of the plane which was later found on the airport’s runway ablaze. Five passengers have been evacuated from Paro to Timika.
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TNI Commander Adm. Yudo Margono said his priority is to locate the whereabouts of the Kiwi pilot Captain Philip Max Marthin. According to him, the pilot was not taken hostage by the separatist group National Liberation Army of West Papua-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM), but fled after he was threatened in the attack. (rr)