Java: AirAsia flight QZ8501 crash site found
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The AirAsia flight QZ8501 disaster has taken a new turn. This morning, Indonesian authorities have identified the exact spot where the plane is lying at the bottom of the sea.
The head of the Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), Vice-Marshal FHB Soelistyo, said that two large parts of the plane had been found in the search area at a depth of around 30 metres in the Sea of Java.
"With the discovery of an oil spill and two big parts of the aircraft, I can assure you these are the parts of the AirAsia plane we have been looking for," Soelistyo said. The pieces measure 9.2m x 4.6m x 0.5m and 7.2m x 0.5m.
Meanwhile, the search for bodies continues with 30 recovered so far. The plane carried 162 people, including the crew.
Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation also suspended the company's permit to fly the Surabaya-Singapore route and launched an investigation.
The government found that AirAsia flew on an unauthorised schedule. The airline had a permit to fly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, but not on Sunday, the day of the disaster.
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