Indonesia: Aircraft carrying 188 crashes after take-off, survivors' details unknown
A Lion Air Boeing 737 passenger aircraft crashed soon after it took off from Indonesian capital Jakarta. The Flight JT-610 was bound for Pangkal Pinang. Reports said it lost contact with the ground just few minutes after take off. The 188 passengers onboard, included 1 infant and 2 babies, two pilots and five cabin crew. There isn't much clarity about survivors yet.
Flight was due to reach destination one-hour after take-off
The flight took off from Jakarta at 6:20 local time on Monday morning, and was due to reach its destination in one hour. Soon after the tragedy, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Indonesia's disaster agency's head, tweeted images of debris and personal belongings that came from the aircraft. He also shared a video that showed debris floating in the water. The aircraft was a new one.
Here is the tweet he posted
A tugboat reported it saw a downed plane
Yusuf Latif, the spokesperson of Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), said it is believed the aircraft crashed near Tanjung Karawang in the waters off West Java. He added a team has been deployed. Another official said the crew of tugboat AS Jaya II reported they saw a crashed plane in West Java. "At 7:15 AM the tugboat reported it had approached the site," the official added.
Flightrader website hints at the path the aircraft took
Further, the official added two other ships, a tanker, a cargo ship, and a Basarnas rescue boat are on their way to the site. According to Flightrader website, the aircraft went south on take off, headed north and then ended abruptly over the water body. The final telemetry from the aircraft showed it was 'rapid descent', it noted.
We are collecting information, says CEO of Lion Air Group
"We cannot give any comment at this moment. We are trying to collect all the information and data," said Edward Sirait, Chief Executive Officer of Lion Air Group.
