A Lion Air Boeing 737 passenger plane with 189
people including 1 child and 2 infants as well as 6 cabin crew members and 2
pilots on board has crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from the
Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
The Flight JT 610 took off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, greater Jakarta, at 6:21 a.m. local time, and had been due to land at around 7:30 a.m. in Pangkal Pinan, the largest city on Bangka.
Indonesian Finance Minister Sri
Mulyani Indrawati said there were 20 ministry officials on board, who were
returning to their posts in Pangkal Pinang after spending the weekend with
their families in Jakarta for a public holiday.
Rescuers have recovered bodies from the sea and
families are being told to go to hospital to identify the dead. Items belonging
to passengers have also been found in the water, including baby shoes, ID cards
and luggage.
Lion Air acquired the aircraft in
August and it had flown only 800 hours, said Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of the
National Transport Safety Committee (NTSC).
Manufacturer Boeing released a
statement saying the company was "deeply saddened" by the loss of
flight JT 610.
"We express our concern for
those on board, and extend heartfelt sympathies to their families and loved
ones," the statement said.
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