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| Indonesian Navy divers take part in the search for the crashed Sriwijaya Air passenger jet in the waters off Java, Indonesia, Jan 10, 2021. (Photo by=AP) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] A Sriwijaya Air plane crashed into the sea on Saturday (Jan 9) minutes after taking off from Indonesia's capital Jakarta on a domestic flight with 62 people on board, and their fate was not known.
The Boeing 737-500, en route to Pontianak in West Kalimantan, disappeared from radar screens after taking off just after 2.30 pm local time, 30 minutes after the scheduled time because of heavy rain. Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya told a news conference that 62 people were aboard Flight SJ 182, including 12 crew. The detik.com website quoted him as saying the plane crashed near Laki Island, about 20km from the airport.
On Sunday, Indonesia's military chief said divers had spotted parts of the wreckage of a Boeing 737-500 at a depth of 23m in the Java Sea. Indonesian airline Sriwijaya Air's chief executive, Jefferson Irwin Jauwena, told a news conference that the plane had been in good condition before the flight. A Boeing spokeswoman said, "We are aware of media reports from Jakarta, and are closely monitoring the situation. We are working to gather more information." Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus told CNA that as of Sunday morning, they have sent two bags to the disaster victim identification team. Distraught relatives waited at Pontianak, around 740km from Jakarta.
