All Passengers of Downed Indonesia Police Chopper Evacuated

JAMBI, KOMPAS.com - All Jambi Regional Police officials who were on board a helicopter that made an emergency landing at Tamia Hill, Kerinci district, Jambi province, on Sunday due to inclement weather were evacuated on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

The Jambi Police chief Inspector General Rusdi Hartono was successfully evacuated at 4:38 p.m. local time, head of the public relations division of Jambi Police Senior Commissioner Mulia Prianto said here on Tuesday.

Hartono was taken to the Crisis Center Post in Merangin district, Jambi province, on the Indonesian Air Force’s Super Puma helicopter.

Before evacuating Hartono, the search and rescue (SAR) team managed to evacuate four other officers of the Jambi Police.

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They were the co-pilot Adjunct Commissioner (AKP) Amos Fredily, aide-de-camp to the Jambi police chief Brigadier Aditya, the director of the criminal investigation Senior Commissioner Andri Ananta, and the director of Water and Air Police Senior Commissioner Michael Bumbunan.

The team also managed to evacuate the pilot AKP Ali Nurdin.

Prianto said that the Jambi Police chief was the sixth officer who was evacuated, as Hartono had asked the SAR team to prioritize the evacuation of other officers first.

Meanwhile, the coordinator of executive personal staff Commissioner A. Yani, and mechanic officer Second Adjunct Inspector Susilo were evacuated at 5:23 p.m.

"Currently, all of the Jambi Police chief's entourage have been successfully evacuated," he said.

The officers were taken to Jambi Bhayangkara Hospital to be treated for their injuries.

“According to the information we got, [apart from having his right hand broken], the Polda Jambi chief also said that his back ached,” Prianto said.

A Bell 412 SP helicopter, bearing the registration number P-3001, carrying the officials was forced to make an emergency landing due to poor weather on Sunday, Feb. 19.

The entourage had left for the Kerinci district at 9:25 a.m. local time to inaugurate an Integrated Police Service Center of the Kerinci Resort Police.

The joint SAR team managed to locate the entourage at 4 a.m. local time on Monday, Feb. 20.