A plane vanished after a loud explosion was heard while it was en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar in Indonesia. The missing aircraft, an ATR 42-500 belonging to Indonesia Air Transport, disappeared from radar systems with three passengers and eight crew members on board.
Search and rescue teams are actively looking for the crash site in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, where debris has been sighted in the mountainous terrain. Officials suspect that the plane may have crashed due to reports of an explosion prior to its disappearance.
According to Commander Maj Gen Bangun Nawoko, the aircraft deviated from its designated path, prompting air traffic control to issue corrective instructions before losing contact. The last signal from the plane was detected at 11:20 am local time near Yogyakarta airport.
A statement from aircraft manufacturer ATR expressed condolences for the incident, stating their commitment to assisting Indonesian authorities and the operator in the investigation. The search efforts are concentrated on specific “hotspots” within densely forested areas, where the missing plane is believed to have gone down.