Coordinating minister for people`s welfare Agung Laksono in Padang, West Sumatra on Saturday disclosed that the government is paying attention to the victims and their families.
According to him, the government would extend help through the Jamsostek (workers insurance company) or the Jasa Raharja insurance programs.
"How much it will be we have not yet decided," he said, adding the government still had yet to discuss the assistance.
Meanwhile, the Russian Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer, meanwhile, has said it would also offer compensation to the families of the crash victims.
"The company is fully responsible for the incident. All of the passengers will receive insurance payments directly from the Sukhoi company in Russia, with each of them receiving US$50,000," he said.
The Russian plane crashed at Mount Salak in West Java province while on a demonstration flight, carrying 45 passengers on board, consisting of crew members, airline company representatives and several journalists.
Minister Laksono said, search and rescue teams were still continuing to search for the bodies of the victims.
Until Saturday evening, some 16 bags of the victims (broken into pieces) of the Sukhoi plane crash were transferred to Kramat Jati police hospital in East Jakarta.
Most families of the victims, who previously had been in the hospital awaiting word on identification of the dead, have left the location because doctors said the identification process would take time to complete.
The wreckage of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft that crashed in West Java on Wednesday has not been removed from the crash site, as the focus of rescue efforts has been on removing the remains of the victims, chief of the 3rd Siliwangi Military Command, Major General Sonny Widjaja, said on Saturday.
Major General Sonny Widjaja added that removal of the wreckage of the plane would only be carried out after the recovery of the victims` remains was completed, although some pieces of the plane`s tale have been recovered.
"We will wait for the right time, which is after all bodies of the victims are found," he said.
Meanwhile, chairman of National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Daryatmo said here on Saturday that the ill-fated Sukhoi aircraft`s black box has not yet been found.
"We have not yet found the black box," he said, adding that the evacuation team has located the plane`s tail at an elevation of 300 meters.
In the meantime, Russian ambassador to Indonesia Alexander Ivanow said Indonesia and Russia would work together to determine the cause of the crash of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 commercial plane on Mount Salak, Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday (May 9).
"The Russian government will assist in investigating the cause of the accident, finding bodies of the victims, and conducting interrogations," the envoy said.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin also made a request to cooperate in the investigation of the incident when he called President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to offer his deep condolences to the families of the victims," he added.
According to Imanow, "The cooperation will be between the responsible authorities of both countries."
In addition, the Indonesian minister of transportation EE Mangindaan said at a press conference at the Media Center at Halim Perdanakusuma airport here on Friday that a Russian plane has arrived carrying 41 experts while another one will arrive on Sunday carrying investigation equipment.
The arrival of the team followed the cooperation agreement made by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the investigation of the incident, Mangindaan pointed out.
He also said the Russian team would cooperate with the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT).
"In essence the Indonesian team would lead the investigation while the Russian team will help," he said.
Minister Mangindaan said, the results of the investigation that would be used to show the cause of the incident especially the black box that records aircraft conditions and conversations before and after flight which would be the main evidence would all be processed in Indonesia.
"I can assure that they will all be processed in Indonesia. Russia will only assure that the process is transparent," he said.
Russian deputy trade minister Yury Slyusar that led the Russian investigation team said he had met with BASARNAS and KNKT officials to discuss work program and distribution.
"I hope this cooperation will run well and produce transparent and accurate results," he said.
Meanwhile, minister for people`s welfare Agung Laksono called on the public not to distribute alleged pictures of the remains of Sukhoi plane crash victims.
Minister Laksono deplored the distribution of the pictures using cell phones, since such photos "are not found in the command post at Halim Perdanakusuma airbase," he said, explaining that the pictures are horrible and their distribution will only bring more sorrow to the families of the victims. (*)
Reporter: Bustanuddin
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
