Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - The bodies of three of the 27 people who had been on the Merpati Nusantara Airlines M160 aircraft that crashed on Saturday (May 7) have been buried here, an insurance official said.

The dead victims, identified as Sawi Stevanus, Sarce Samaran and Galilea Samaran were laid in state at the Kaimana district police precinct prior to their burial at the local public cemetery, said Artaban, public relations officer of accident insurer PT Jasa Raharja here on Monday.

Sarce Samaran was the wife of a Kaimana police officer.

According to Artaban, Sarce Samaran and her child, Galilea Samaran, were among the dead victims found by a Search and Rescue (SAR) team in Kaimana waters near the crash site.

The funeral of the three dead victims was also attended by local police and government officials, their friends and relatives.

The ill-fated plane crashed when it was about to land and about 500 meters from Runway 19 at around 2 pm local time.

As many as 27 people including the plane crew members were killed in the accident. The plane was plying the Nabire-Kaimana route.

On the insurance money that would be paid by PT Jasa Raharja to the families of the dead victims, Artaban said that his company has insured all three victims on the basis of Act No. 33 of 1964.

"PT Jasa Raharja is ready to pay the insurance claims of all passengers of the Merpati plane at the rate of Rp50 million per victim," he said.

In addition, a SAR team on Monday morning found the body of Rifli Abimanyu, a child of Adjunct Police Commissioner Tedy Efendi and his wife Irmawati who also died in the accident.

Until Monday (May 9), three passengers were still missing,

the SAR team said, adding that another six victims were laid in state at the Kaimana general hospital because parts of their bodies were no longer complete.

The plane carried 18 adult passengers, a young boy and two infants, and the crew of which include pilot Purwandi Wahyu, co-pilot Paul Nap, two stewardesses - Sumaryani and Indriyana Puspasari - and two technicians - Joko and Dadi Tarsidik.

(SYS/B003/S012)

Editor: Suryanto
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