TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – National Armed Forces (TNI) headquarters spokesperson Maj. Gen. M. Fuad Basya confirmed the order for the TNI to stop evacuating the AirAsia QZ8501 aircraft in the Karimata Strait. All warships and troops have been withdrawn since Tuesday.
According to Fuad, the evacuation process was stopped because the TNI team did not find anymore bodies.
“We initially thought there were many bodies that were trapped. It turned out there were only a few. Most of the bodies might have drifted away,” Fuad told Tempo on Wednesday.
Another reason is that the TNI’s main mission, which is to recover black boxes and parts of the aircraft, has been accomplished.
Fuad said the TNI only served as a supporting team in the recovery operation. “However, the TNI will always be ready if ordered to conduct evacuation again,” said Fuad.
INDRA WIJAYA