The Hasanuddin University (Unhas) Search and Rescue (SAR) Team is taking part in the search and rescue operation for the ATR 42-500 aircraft incident, in which the plane was reported to have lost contact and crashed in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi. The involvement is Hasanuddin University’s humanitarian contribution to supporting disaster response alongside the joint SAR units.
Since Saturday, 17 January 2026, the Unhas SAR Team has deployed five personnel to help with the search in the field. The team is involved in the ground search, combing mountain and forest areas believed to be the crash site. Steep terrain, dense vegetation, and changing weather conditions are the main challenges of the operation.
Unhas Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof drg Muhammad Ruslin MKes PhD SpBM(K), expressed full support for the Unhas SAR Team on duty in the field. Prof. Ruslin affirmed that the involvement of Unhas students and volunteers in the humanitarian mission is part of the university’s commitment to fostering social concern and a disaster-response spirit.
“We give our full support to the Unhas SAR Team, who have been directly involved in the search operation from the start. This is a real expression of Hasanuddin University’s concern for the humanitarian mission,” Prof. Ruslin said on Monday, 19 January 2026.
Prof. Ruslin also expressed deep concern over the aircraft crash and hope that the entire search and rescue process would go smoothly.
“On behalf of Hasanuddin University, we are deeply concerned about this disaster. We hope the SAR operation goes smoothly and that all personnel on duty are kept safe,” Prof. Ruslin added.
As of the latest update, the SAR operation is still ongoing. The joint team has found a number of pieces of aircraft debris at a hard-to-reach location and evacuated one victim, while the search for the other victims continues, with the safety of all personnel in the field remaining the priority.
The search operation involves multi-sector collaboration consisting of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) as coordinator, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), local governments, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), AirNav, volunteers, hiking communities, and universities, including Hasanuddin University. All elements work under an integrated command system to ensure effective coordination.
Hasanuddin University continues to monitor the development of the operation and to ensure the necessary support for the Unhas SAR Team as part of higher education’s contribution to disaster response and humanitarian missions.(*/kmhs/fjr)
Editor: Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.