An Indonesian plane, an ATR 42-500 belonging to Indonesia Air Transport, has vanished in South Sulawesi after a loud explosion was reportedly heard by locals. The aircraft, carrying three passengers and eight crew members, departed from Yogyakarta and was en route to Makassar. Contact with the plane was lost approximately 12 miles into its flight, about 12 miles northeast of Yogyakarta airport, at 11:20 AM local time.
Air traffic control had communicated with the pilot, instructing them to correct their path as the plane was not on its expected approach. Following the last set of instructions, communication was lost, leading air traffic control to declare an emergency. A joint search and rescue team is currently focused on "hotspots" in the mountainous and densely forested areas of Maros Regency, where the plane is suspected to have crashed. Reports of debris have also emerged, intensifying the belief among officials that the aircraft has fallen.