Anguish as bodies, debris found from AirAsia Flight 8501 A grim discovery in the waters off Indonesia on Tuesday dealt a heartbreaking blow to families whose loved ones were lost on AirAsia Flight QZ8501, and their anguish was felt around the world. Debris from the plane was spotted about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the aircrafts last known location over the Java Sea, off the coast of Indonesias Central Kalimantan province on Borneo. Three bodies were recovered -- two women and one man, Indonesian search and rescue chief Bambang Soelistyo said, according to the Indonesian state-run Antara news agency. 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, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told journalists. He then went to meet with families. Families shown shocking images of debris What could pilots do to avoid storm? Experts: Lessons not learned from MH370 MH370 families grieve anew after crash We are sorry to be here today under these tragic circumstances, said Sunu Widyatmoko, head of AirAsia Indonesia. We would like to extend our sincere sympathies to the family and friends of those on board QZ8501. Our sympathies also go out to the families of our dear colleagues. My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ 8501, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted. On behalf of AirAsia my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am. Later, speaking with reporters, Fernandes said there is now at least some closure for families that might have been holding out hope. Hospitals in the Indonesian city of Surabaya are being prepared to help house and identify bodies being recovered off the coast of Borneo. As families watched a live news conference about the discovery of the debris and saw video of a helicopter lowering a diver to what appeared to be a floating body, some people fainted. Stretchers were brought into the room. Family members burst into tears, dabbing their eyes as officials passed out tissues. Some sat with their eyes full of tears, hands covering their mouths or heads buried in their hands. Others had phones jammed against their ears. Military crew spotted an objects shadow Soelistyo, the head of Indonesias search and rescue agency, said the debris was discovered when a crew on a military aircraft spotted the shadow of an object that looked like a plane in the water. Further searching found floating objects believed to be the bodies of passengers, and then what appeared to be an emergency exit of the plane. Officials sent other search teams racing to the area. Several nations are contributing resources to the effort, including the United States. The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Sampson arrived Tuesday. The USS Fort Worth is also being prepared to deploy from Singapore, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby told CNN on Tuesday. It can be ready to sail in a day or two to get on station and can be there very quickly, he said. Search zone where debris was foundSearch zone where debris was found The search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 The search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 The United States is also preparing maritime patrol aircraft that could help, he said. The flight, which was lost Sunday on its way to Singapore, was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members. The overwhelming majority were Indonesians. There were also citizens of Britain, France, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. Search and rescue teams are diverting all their resources to where the debris is, in the Karimata Strait, about 110 nautical miles southwest of the Indonesian city of Pangkalan Bun, AirAsia said. Divers and ships with sonar equipment are being sent to the site, where the water depth varies between 25 and 30 meters (about 80 to 100 feet), Soelistyo said.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:49:21 +0000
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