Indonesia President confirms Boeing plane crashed in Java sea

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, on January 10, said that the missing Boeing 737-500 jet operated by Sriwijaya Air had crashed into Java sea. In a statement, he reckoned that he had got the report from the country’s transport ministry. In the aftermath, he urged all parties to expend their efforts to the ongoing search operation.

The passenger plane, carrying 62 people took off country’s capital Jakarta and was scheduled to land in Pontianak in West Kalimantan province. However, just four minutes after its takeoff, it disappeared from the radar. According to Flightradar24, the Sriwijaya plane disappeared from the radar at 07:40:27 UTC time. On January 10, Indonesian authorities confirmed that they have traced the signal from the mission plane in the Java sea.

Suspected debris found

Addressing the nation on Television, country’s military chief Hadi Tjahjanto revealed that an Indonesian search and rescue team has located the suspected crash site of the plane. He added that the team has found the debris which it suspects to be from the 26-year-old plane and plans to dig deeper to recover more.

Read: Indonesia: Boeing Plane Wreckage Found In Java Sea, Rescue Operations Underway

Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said, “We received reports from the diver team that the visibility in the water is good and clear, allowing the discovery of some parts of the plane”. He added, “We are sure that is the point where the plane crashed. Hopefully until this afternoon the current conditions and the view under the sea are still good so that we can continue the search”. 

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Earlier on January 9, a Boeing spokesperson said that the company is still in touch with Sriwijaya Air and is ready to support the families of the victims. ''Human body parts and debris of the plane were found,'' Captain EKo Surya Hadi, commander of Trisula coast guard ship. The flight was carrying 62 passengers, including children and had lost all the contact more than 10,000 feet of altitude in less than one minute, reported flight-tracking website Flightradar24. The rapid depletion of altitude reportedly occurred four minutes after departure from Jakarta airport. 

Read: Indonesia: Boeing Plane Wreckage Found In Java Sea, Rescue Operations Underway

Image: AP