No Indonesian on Board Crashed Flydubai Flight: Foreign Minister

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that no Indonesian was aboard Dubai`s flydubai airlines flight that crashed in the Russian port city of Rostov-on-Don midnight Saturday.

A total of 62 people, including 55 passengers and seven crew members, were killed in the crash.

"Of the 55 passengers who have been identified, there were five foreigners but none was found to be Indonesian," Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, Director General of Indonesians Protection and Legal Entities, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a message received by ANTARA on Saturday.

Based on the latest information released by the airlines, 55 passengers hailed from four nationalities -- 44 Russians, eight Ukrainians, two Indians and one Uzbek national.

Russias emergencies ministry said the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier flydubai, crashed at 03:50am (0030 GMT) at the airport in Rostov-on-Don. Officials said there were 55 passengers and six crew members on board the plane.

"Unfortunately, they all died," Viktor Yanutsenko, an emergencies ministry official who was helping in coordinating the emergency response, was quoted as saying by Russias RIA news agency.

Zhanna Terekohova, an advisor to the Russian transport minister, told the state television that possible cause of crash could be pilot error and poor weather conditions.
Local officials said at the time of the crash, there were strong, gusting winds in the Rostov area.

Flydubai said in a statement: "We are doing all we can to gather information as quickly as possible. At this moment, our thoughts and prayers are with our passengers and our crew who were on board the aircraft."

"We will do everything we can to help those who have been affected by this accident," said the carrier, which is owned by the Dubai government.

ANTARA