Lion Air passenger flight, a plane conveying 189 passengers on board has crashed and plunged into the sea north of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta shortly after take-off.
Pictures and video shared online by the head of Indonesia’s disaster relief agency show debris and oil floating on the water.
The fate of the passengers is unknown, but relatives were seen crying as they awaited news on their loved ones.
How it happened:
An official of Indonesia’s safety transport committee said he could not confirm the cause of the crash, which would have to wait until the recovery of the plane’s black boxes, as the cockpit voice recorder and data flight recorder are known.
The plane lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff, according to the official. Debris thought to be from the plane, including aircraft seats, was found near an offshore refining facility in the Java Sea, an official of state energy firm Pertamina said.
“We don’t know yet whether there are any survivors,” Muhmmad Syaugi, the head of the search and rescue agency said. “We hope, we pray, but we cannot confirm.”
“We cannot give any comment at this moment, said Edward Sirait, chief executive of Lion Air Group. “We are trying to collect all the information and data.”
