A personnel of Indonesian Military Force (TNI) and three police officers washed away in Digoel River, Bintang Mountains Regency, Saturday (1/28). Four of them were drowned when the bridge that they are crossing was collapsed.
“Yes, there are four victims, with three of them are police while the other is a personnel of TNI. They were drifted in Digoel River,” says Head of Papua Police Public Relations, Grand Commissioner of Police Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo, when confirmed through phone.
According to Benny,the bridge is quite long because of how large the river is.
“I am entirely sure, but it is about 40 meters,” says Benny. He adds that the current of the river is strong.
Rescue team have been deployed to find the victims.
According to him, the four security personnel are about to go to Iwur District, but officials still haven’t figured out what was their intention.
Digoel River itself stretches for 853 kilometers. The upstream is at Maoke Mountains and the downstream is at Arafuru Sea.
The southern Papua river cross many regencies, from Bintang Mountains, Papua Mountains, to Mappi, Boven Digoel, and Merauke in South Papua.