Indonesian exec says remains, debris found at plane crash site

After getting a signal from a location believed to be the crash site, a search and rescue team Sunday recovered debris, including life vests and human body parts, Indonesian military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters. (Pexels photo)

JAKARTA – The crash site of an Indonesian Sriwijaya Air flight carrying 62 people that went down at sea Saturday has been found, along with human remains and belongings, according to a top official.

After getting a signal from a location believed to be the crash site, a search and rescue team Sunday recovered debris, including life vests and human body parts, Indonesian military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters.

He added that he is hopeful the Boeing 737-500 plane wreckage could be recovered later today from the area, in the waters of the Thousand Islands area between the isles of Lancang and Laki.

“Divers reported that underwater visibility is clear and it is likely that more parts from the wreckage and even from the victims could be found, hopefully everything could be recovered later this afternoon,” Tjahjanto said. “We are confident that the location is the site where the plane crashed.”

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is reportedly closely monitoring the search and rescue operations and pressing officials to get results.

The domestic flight departed from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport bound for the city of Pontianak in West Borneo when it lost contact within minutes after taking off. It carried 50 passengers, including 10 children, and 12 crew members.

An Indonesian warship, the Rigel, has been docked at the crash site since early Sunday as part of search and rescue efforts.

Earlier, Bagus Puruhito, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, said a bag containing aircraft debris believed to be part of the plane had been found. (Anadolu)