An Indonesian domestic flight with
54 people on board lost contact with air traffic control in
Papua province Sunday afternoon, the nation's search and
rescue agency said on Twitter.
The Trigana Air Service flight left Sentani Airport in Jayapura
at 2:22 p.m. local time and was scheduled to land in Oksibil
at about 3:16 p.m., officials said.
The plane lost contact at about 2:55 p.m., Transportation
Ministry spokesman JA Barata told CNN Indonesia.
Barata said there was no indication that a distress call was
made from the plane.
The plane was carrying 44 adult passengers, five children and
five crew members.
Barata said officials have not yet confirmed whether the plane
crashed.
"A search was launched earlier today, but was called off
because of bad weather, and it's also now dark there," the
transportation ministry spokesman said.
Search-and-rescue official Ludi Yanto told CNN that efforts
will include an air search and a ground search.
It's unclear why the plane went missing. Officials said the
weather was clear when the plane took off in Jayapura, but
CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said there were some
thunderstorms over a mountainous area in the flight path.
And the weather could get worse in the coming days, possibly
impeding search efforts.
"The terrain is going to be an issue as well, as we have some
pretty steep slopes here," Cabrera said.
