Indonesian rescuers recover the bodies of all 10 people killed in South Sulawesi plane crash
Indonesian rescuers have found the remaining bodies of all 10 people aboard a ministry-chartered ATR 42-500 aircraft that lost contact mid-flight in South Sulawesi, according to a report dated 2026-01-23. The plane was carrying seven crew members and three passengers when it disappeared near the Maros region during a fisheries-surveillance flight.
The best source in the packet, ABC News Australia citing Indonesian authorities, says the wreckage was found around Mount Bulusaraung and that recovery efforts were still ongoing. The article should keep the emphasis on the human toll: all 10 people aboard are now confirmed dead, ending hopes of finding survivors after the crash.
The aircraft belonged to Indonesia Air Transport and had been chartered by the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry for air surveillance over fisheries. That gives the flight a specific government purpose, making the crash relevant not just as an aviation disaster but also as a disruption to an official monitoring mission.
The report says the plane lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday around 1:30 p.m. local time. Indonesian authorities later found one body on the slope of a fog-covered mountain before discovering the remaining two the following Friday morning. That sequence suggests search conditions were difficult and that recovery took several days in rough terrain.
A BASARNAS official, Andi Sultan, said through tears that the ninth and 10th bodies had been found and that evacuation was still in progress. Such a quote is not needed verbatim in the article, but it reinforces the emotional weight of the recovery and the persistence of the search effort.
The source also notes that investigators are examining the aircraft’s black box through Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee. The packet does not yet contain any findings about the cause of the crash, so the article should not speculate about weather, pilot error or mechanical failure.
The crash has added to a grim record for the ATR 42 in Indonesia. The source says this was the first deadly crash involving the model in more than a decade and references previous disasters in 2015 and 2021. Those comparisons are useful only as context for the aircraft type’s history, not as evidence about the cause of this crash.
On the event date, the confirmed story is clear: all 10 people aboard the missing plane have been found dead, recovery is continuing, and investigators are now turning to the black box for answers.
