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Debris confirmed to be from aircraft
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has confirmed that the debris it discovered earlier on Tuesday southwest of Pangkalan Bun in Central Kalimantan is from the wreckage of an aircraft, suspected to be the ill-fated AirAsia flight QZ8501
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T
he National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has confirmed that the debris it discovered earlier on Tuesday southwest of Pangkalan Bun in Central Kalimantan is from the wreckage of an aircraft, suspected to be the ill-fated AirAsia flight QZ8501.
"From our discovery, I am 95 percent sure that the discovered debris is from an aircraft," Basarnas chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo told a press conference at his office in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday.
He said that he was sure because of the discovery of an emergency exit door on the water.
"That's why I am sure of the location and the debris is from the aircraft that we are looking for," Henry said.
The emergency exit door was discovered by the Indonesian Navy warship, the KRI Bung Tomo, at 1:50 p.m.
"Then at 2 p.m., the warship along with a chopper from the Basarnas recovered the emergency exit [door]," said Henry.
Before the discovery of the emergency exit door, an Air Force Hercules C-130 aircraft also found bodies suspected to be victims of the incident floating on the sea at 1:25 p.m.
"At 1:50 p.m., the aircraft also found an object casting a shadow on the ocean and it is suspected to resemble an airplane," Henry said.
The earliest discovery of the debris was made at 10:05 a.m., when a C-295 medium-lift transport aircraft discovered floating debris in the Karimata Strait, the waters that separate Belitung Island and Kalimantan.
The Basarnas has deployed 21 divers, 10 from the agency and 11 from the Navy, to retrieve any remains from the bottom of the ocean.
"The depth of the ocean at the location of the debris is between 25 meters and 30 meters. That's why we must still use our divers for the recovery," Henry said.
Any recovered remains will be brought to Pangkalan Bun, according to Henry. (nfo)(++++)
