The crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 has now been confirmed as rescue teams have found significant amounts of debris, as well as having recovered at least 40 bodies from the seas off the coast of Borneo.
The New York Times reported today that although Indonesian officials did not explicitly say so, their comments suggested it was unlikely that survivors would be found.
Joko Widodo, Indonesia’s president, said before meeting with families of passengers, “I am so very sorry for this accident. I hope families can stay strong while facing tragedy.”
For the best part of Tuesday, Indonesian authorities have built up an inventory of debris collected by ships and helicopters from the sea, including life vests, aircraft parts and what appeared to be a small blue suitcase.
According to Indonesian tv, debris from the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crash was found roughly 60 miles southeast of the last known position of the plane, the opposite direction from the plane’s path, a fact that was not explained.
Tony Fernandes, the head of AirAsia, wrote in a Twitter message today, “My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ 8501. On behalf of AirAsia my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am.”
The Times report added that including the passengers from the AirAsia flight, as well as those still missing from the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in March, 1,320 people died in air accidents in 2014, the deadliest year since 2005.
In the case of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 , the two-day delay in locating the debris wreckage added to the pressure on the airlines to equip their aircraft with devices that send out location coordinates and other diagnostic information.
As rescue teams continue to recover bodies from the crash, investigators are assembling the pieces of the jigsaw as best they can in order to understand the circumstances that led to the fatal crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501.