Indonesian Plane Disappears Carrying 54 Passengers

An airliner carrying 54 passengers disappeared in bad weather during a short flight in Indonesia.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

The BBC is reporting that villagers in Papua have found the wreckage of an Indonesian airliner that went missing Sunday.

According to The Associated Press, the ATR42-300 twin turboprop plane had 49 passengers and five crew members aboard for a short, 42-minute flight between Jayapura to the Papua city of Oksibil​ when it lost contact with ground control during bad weather. 

The official search for the missing plane was suspended due to darkness, but was set to resume Monday morning. The region is known for impenetrable jungles and steep cliffs, which can make searches extremely difficult. 

According to the BBC report, wreckage from the plane was found by Okbape villagers who also said they saw the plane crash into a mountain. 

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