Boy only survivor of crash in to Papua mountainside

A 12-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed eight people in mountainous region of Papua.

It took rescuers two hours to reach the crash site yesterday. Picture: AFP

A 12-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed eight people in mountainous region of Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua, authorities said yesterday.

The Swiss-made Pilatus PC-6 Porter single-engine aircraft operated by private charter company Dimonin Air was reported missing on Saturday during a 45-minute flight from Tanah Merah in Boven Digul district to Oksibil, the district capital of Pegunungan Bintang, bordering Papua New Guinea.

The wreckage was found in a heavily forested area on a mountain side yesterday morning.

Local army chief Colonel Jonathan Binsar Sianipar said the boy, identified as Jumaidi, was the only passenger found alive and was evacuated to the Oksibil hospital. A statement from the army said the boy was conscious but it gave no other details.

Jumaidi is rescued yesterday. Picture: AFP

The plane lost contact after communicating with the control tower in Oksibil just before it was due to land on Saturday afternoon, said local police chief Michael Mumbunan.

Colonel Sianipar said the cause of the crash was not clear.

The plane was carrying seven passengers and two crew.

Before the accident, villagers in nearby Okatem reported hearing a loud roar followed by an explosion. Search and rescue teams walked two hours to reach the crash site and were still recovering the bodies late yesterday morning.

Indonesia has a poor aviation safety record and Papua is a particularly difficult area to reach.

Five people died after a small plane crashed near Wamena in Papua province in July last year.

In August 2015, a commercial passenger aircraft operated by Indonesian carrier Trigana crashed in Papua due to bad weather, killing all 54 people on board.

AP, AFP