#Jakarta: Officials of the rescue and search of AirAsia plane had claimed the recovery of six bodies. Notify that a massive hunt for the 162 victims of AirAsia Flight 8501 resumed in the Java Sea on Wednesday.
Seven bodies, including a flight attendant identified by her trademark red uniform, were recovered.
Meanwhile wind, strong currents and high surf hampered recovery efforts as distraught family members anxiously waited to identify their loved ones.
Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency Chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo said that three bodies were retrieved on Tuesday while the others were found after the search resumed Wednesday morning.
Indonesian rescuers believe they have found the wreck of a crashed AirAsia plane on the ocean floor off Borneo, after sonar detected a large, dark object beneath waters where debris and bodies were found floating.
Ships and planes had been scouring the Java Sea for Flight QZ8501 (an Airbus A320-200) since Sunday, when it lost contact during bad weather about 40 minutes into its flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.
“It’s about 30 to 50 metres (100 to 165 feet) underwater,” Hernanto, head of the search and rescue agency in Surabaya, said of the object on the sea bed.
The first proof of the jet’s fate emerged on Tuesday in an area not far from where it dropped off radar screens. Searchers found the bodies and debris that included a life jacket, an emergency exit door and a suitcase about 10 miles from the plane’s last known coordinates.
On Wednesday, divers were deployed, but heavy rain and clouds grounded helicopters, said Soelistyo.
Authorities in Surabaya were making preparations to receive and identify bodies, including arranging 130 ambulances to take victims to a police hospital and collecting DNA from relatives.
“We are praying it is the plane so the evacuation can be done quickly,” Hernanto said.
Most of the people on board were Indonesians. No survivors have been found.
The airliner’s disappearance halfway through a two-hour flight between Surabaya, Indonesia, and Singapore triggered an international search for the aircraft involving dozens of planes, ships and helicopters. It is still unclear what brought the plane down.
“The company wishes to offer the sincere sympathies of its management and staff to all those who have been affected by the loss of this aircraft.
“With safety as its prime concern, Airbus reaffirms its full commitment to provide all necessary technical assistance to the investigation authorities in order to establish the cause of this tragic accident,” the statement said.
Images of the debris and a bloated body shown on Indonesian television sent a spasm of anguish through the room at the Surabaya airport where relatives awaited news.
Notify that the rescue workers descended on ropes from a hovering helicopter to retrieve bodies.
Meanwhile heavy waves of about 2 meter (6 foot) waves and strong winds had hindered efforts, said National Search and Rescue Director SB Supriyadi.
Bureau Report
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