“At the moment, we are investigating and coordinating the matter with the Basarnas search and rescue agency and the KNKT’s transport safety authority. We will publish more information as soon as we know more, “said Transport Ministry spokeswoman Adita Irawati.
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Although authorities have still not confirmed the crash, according to CNN Indonesia, which communicated with nearby fishermen, three boats have already discovered the alleged wreckage of the plane. These are mainly cables, aircraft wreckage and pieces of clothing. An oil slick also appeared at the site of the aircraft’s alleged crash. No information is yet available on possible loss of life.
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Breaking: Scattered debris, suspected of being part of the Sriwijaya Air flight # SJ182 wreckage, has been found in the Java Sea near to Jakarta — Indonesian rescue agency pic.twitter.com/Bo00oMex48
– Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) January 9, 2021
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According to Metro TV, quoted by the DPA, there were 56 people on board, including seven children and six crew members, but some sources even reported 62 people on the plane.
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The plane dropped sharply shortly after takeoff
Video: Reuters
“Four minutes after takeoff, the plane dropped by ten thousand feet in a minute,” said a Twitter account from the specialized site Flight Radar 24. The plane gained an altitude of 10,900 feet (3.3 kilometers), but sent the last signal from a height of 250 feet (76 meters) above sea level.
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Relatives and friends of passengers are praying and crying at the airport.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
Indonesian television channels show footage from the airports in Jakarta and Pontianak, where relatives and friends of people traveling by plane are crying and praying.
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Traffic accidents, including air accidents, are relatively common in Indonesia. According to the BBC, overcrowding, aging infrastructure and insufficient safety standards are to blame.
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Security forces are operating at Jakarta Airport.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
According to registration data, this is a 27-year-old Boeing 737-500 model. The airlines themselves do not want to issue an official opinion until more information is found. The flight was to last about 90 minutes and the machine was mostly to move over the Java Sea. Sriwijaya Air is a low-cost airline that flies to dozens of domestic and foreign destinations.
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In Indonesia, a Boeing 737 MAX of the Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea in October 2019. 189 people died on board the machine, which also flew out of Jakarta. Five months later, another Boeing 737 MAX, owned by Ethiopian Airlines, crashed. Boeing shut down the model worldwide in response to both accidents.
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