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Video: Indonesian Navy Divers Locate Jet Wreckage off Jakarta

basarnas
Image courtesy Basarnas

Published Jan 10, 2021 2:03 PM by The Maritime Executive

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has recovered human remains from the site of a jet crash off the coast of Jakarta, the agency reported Sunday. 

On Saturday afternoon, a Boeing 737-500 operated by discount airline Sriwijaya Air departed Jakarta's airport, bound for Pontianak, Borneo. The aircraft lost contact within minutes of takeoff and suddenly plummeted 10,000 feet, crashing into the sea in the Thousand Islands region west of Jakarta Bay. 

Over 50 vessels, two airplanes, five helicopters and 2,600 personnel were deployed to search for the crashed jet, including 10 vessels from the Indonesian Navy. The service announced Sunday that one of its vessels has located the fuselage of the plane. Navy divers have examined the wreck and believe that they have located the position of the flight data recorders, though the devices have not yet been recovered. 

Debris from the plane has also been recovered, including lifejackets and the landing gear. Out of the 43 adult passengers, seven children and 12 crewmembers on board, no survivors have been located. The head of the search operation, Rasman MS, told reporters that the effort would continue around the clock. 

"We will do our best to find and save the victims, and together, let's pray that they can be found," Indonesian president Joko Widodo told Reuters. "In the name of the government and Indonesian people we would like to express our condolences on what has happened."

All of Indonesia's airlines were blacklisted by the European Union over safety concerns in 2007, including Sriwijaya Air. The firm was removed from the EU banned-carrier list in 2018.