No survivors in Indonesia plane crash: airline

JAKARTA LIFE'S STYLE. All 16 passengers and crew were killed when a plane crashed in Indonesia's rugged Papua region earlier this week, an airline executive said Wednesday.

The Merpati Nusantara Airlines plane crashed into a mountain range Sunday as it flew from Jayapura to Oksibil.

"Based on unofficial field reports, all passengers and crew cannot be rescued," Merpati chief director Bambang Bhakti said.

"The victims' bodies will be evacuated to Oksibil first. Then the victims' families can ask Merpati to fly the bodies anywhere they want."

An airborne search team saw the wreckage of the Twin Otter plane Tuesday in dense jungle near Ampisibil village in Bintang Mountains Regency.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Indonesia relies heavily on air links across the archipelago but its safety record is one of the worst in Asia and accidents are common. (AFP)