Asia News

Bodies And Wreckage From AirAsia Jet Recovered

Debris and bodies from AirAsia Flight QZ8501 were discovered on Tuesday in the waters off Indonesia, dealing a blow to families whose loved ones were on the jet.

Debris was found about six miles from the jet’s last known location over the Java Sea, off the coast of the Central Kalimantan province on Borneo. Three bodies were recovered: two women and one man, according to CNN.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Joko Widodo” author_title=”Indonesian President”]

To the relatives, I feel your loss, and all of us pray that all of the families are given the strength and fortitude during this incident.

[/quote]

Hospitals in Surabaya, Indonesia have been prepared to house and identify bodies as they are recovered.

Families watched a live news conference and saw a helicopter lowering a diver to what seemed to be a floating body. Some people fainted, and stretchers were brought.

The debris was discovered when a crew on a military aircraft saw the shadow of an object that appeared to be a plane in the water. A search found floating objects believed to be bodies.

Throughout the day, authorities have built up an inventory of debris recovered by helicopters and ships, including aircraft parts, lift vests and a blue suitcase, according to the New York Times.

It is still unknown why the AirAsia jet plunged into the sea on Sunday, about 40 minutes after taking off from Surabaya. Tony Fernandes, head of AirAsia, said he would not speculate as to the cause of the disaster until flight data recorders can be recovered and analyzed. He did say that poor weather is the “short-term conclusion.”

Nearly 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Malaysia, AUstralia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States have been assisting in the search. Rescue teams are now heading to where the debris was found to collect evidence, according to the Huffington Post.

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