Indonesian plane with 11 people missing, search and rescue under way

The turboprop ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport was on the way from Yogyakarta to the capital city of South Sulawesi when it vanished from radar, said Endah Purnama Sari, a spokesperson for the transportation ministry. The plane was last tracked at 1.17pm (2.17pm Hong Kong time) in the Leang-Leang area of Maros, a mountainous district of South Sulawesi province.

Multiple search and rescue teams, supported by air force helicopters, drones and ground units, had been deployed, Sari said in a statement.

“The sightings were reported to authorities and are being verified by rescue teams attempting to reach the area,” said Major General Bangun Nawoko, the South Sulawesi’s Hasanuddin military commander.

Sari said the plane disappeared shortly after being instructed by air traffic control to correct its approach alignment. “After the last ATC instructions, radio contact was lost and controllers declared the emergency distress phase.”