Indonesia Reduces Foreign Assistance in AirAsia Search Operation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Air Chief Marshal Henry Bambang Soelistyo, said that the government would reduce the number of personnel and equipment in the search effort to find the bodies of the passengers and the wreckage of the missing AirAsia plane flight QZ8510.

According to Bambang, assistance from other countries has gradually been reduced.

"We make this move based on the result of the evaluation of the operation conducted by Basarnas and the joint team," said Bambang on Sunday.

He also said that assistance from other countries were reduced because the search area of the missing plane has narrowed down to several priorities such as the hunt for the black box and the bodies of the passengers.

For the search operation, Bambang estimated that the airplanes of the Indonesian Air Force is enough.

"However, we still need foreign ships because they have more advanced equipment,” he said.

Until today, Basarnas has already returned airplanes owned by other countries such as Russia, Japan, and Australia.

"Tomorrow, we’re going to return the South Korean airplane,” he said.

However, despite the reduction in the force, Basarnas said that both Basarnas and the joint team would continue the operation to search for the bodies and the wreckage.

"We don’t know yet when we’re going to stop the operation,” Bambang said.

ODELIA SINAGA