Missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501: Rescue Team Confirms Plane Found, At Least Three Bodies Seen Floating Nearby

In breaking news today, Indonesian officials who arrived in Borneo recovered at least three bodies, which they believe to be from missing AirAsia flight QZ8501.

WPXI reported Tuesday that images broadcast on local television showed several bodies floating in the water near to where the wreckage of the plane was located.

The bodies, which were clearly bloated but intact, were brought to an Indonesian navy ship, while National Search and Rescue Director SB Supriyadi told reporters in Pangkalan Bun that the corpses did not have life jackets on.

Another high ranking Indonesian official, Navy spokesman Manahan Simorangkir, also confirmed the discovery of the plane and bodies to TVOne, saying several victims were found, but he did not indicate whether they were dead or alive.

On Sunday morning, Indonesia air traffic control lost contact with AirAsia flight QZ8501 about an hour after it left Juanda International Airport at 5:35am Indonesia time. The plane was bound for Singapore from Surabaya, Indonesia and carried 162 people on board.

Meanwhile, Indonesian search and rescue chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo told reporters he is “95 per cent sure” that the debris found so far by search and rescue teams are from the missing AirAsia flight, “The remaining 5% (doubt) is because I have yet to see for myself the emergency door and other debris,” he said.

Soelistyo confirmed that the debris were found 10km away from where the plane was last seen by air traffic control on radar.

He also confirmed that a boat with 11 divers from the Indonesian navy and the Indonesian search and rescue team has been sent to the exact location so they can pick up as much evidence as possible for their investigation.

The Jakarta Post quoted Indonesian aviation chief Djoko Murjatmodjo as saying that debris found by the Indonesian search and rescue team are confirmed to be “from an aircraft bearing red and white colours. The recovery process will now be centered in the debris location in coordination with Basarnas [the National Search and Rescue Agency],” he said.

It remains to be seen how many more bodies will be found by the search and rescue teams as crash investigators try to ascertain what led to the fatal crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501.