TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Rescuers find human remains after deadly Sriwijaya Air crash

The Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 went into a steep dive about four minutes after it left Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Jakarta on Saturday afternoon.

Dessy Sagita (Agence France-Presse)
Jakarta
Sun, January 10, 2021

Share This Article

Change Size

Rescuers find human remains after deadly Sriwijaya Air crash Rescue workers inspect recovered items and debris at the port in Jakarta on January 10, 2021, during the search operation for Sriwijaya Air flight SJY182 which crashed after takeoff from Jakarta on January 9. (Agence France-Presse/Dany Krisnadhi)

Divers pulled body parts, wreckage and clothing from waters off Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Sunday, as the military picked up a signal from the wreckage of a passenger jet that crashed with 62 people on board.

The Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 went into a steep dive about four minutes after it left Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Jakarta on Saturday afternoon.

A military vessel picked up the plane's signal, and divers recovered wreckage from around 23 metres (75 feet) below the water's surface, the transport ministry said Sunday, citing Indonesia's military chief Hadi Tjahjanto.

It did not specify if the signal was from the downed plane's voice and flight data recorder.

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo expressed his "deep condolences", and called on citizens to "pray together so that victims can be found".

But the frantic search involving helicopters and a flotilla of warships appeared to offer no hope of finding any survivors.

The search and rescue agency said it had so far collected five body bags with human remains as well as debris from the crash site.

A child's pink clothing, a broken tyre and wheel, life jackets and wreckage from the plane were found, according to authorities and AFP reporters on the scene.

Among the passengers was Beben Sofian, 59, and her husband Dan Razanah, 58.

"They took a selfie and sent it to their kids before taking off," the couple's nephew Hendra told AFP.

All 62 people on board, passengers and crew, were Indonesians, including 10 children, authorities said.

'Torn into pieces'

Flight SJ182 was bound for Pontianak city on Indonesia's section of Borneo island, about 90 minutes flying time over the Java Sea.

On Saturday night, distraught relatives waited nervously for news at Pontianak airport.

"I have four family members on the flight -- my wife and three children," Yaman Zai said as he sobbed.

"(My wife) sent me a picture of the baby today... How could my heart not be torn into pieces?"

The plane crashed near popular day-trip islands just off the coast.

Data from FlightRadar24 indicated that the airliner reached an altitude of nearly 11,000 feet (3,350 metres) before dropping suddenly to 250 feet. It then lost contact with air traffic control.

The transport minister said Saturday that the jet appeared to deviate from its intended course just before it disappeared from radar.

Poor weather, pilot error or a technical problem with the plane were potential factors, said Jakarta-based aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman.

"But it's way too early to conclude anything," he added.

"After the black box is found we can start putting the puzzle together."

Sriwijaya Air, which operates flights to destinations in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, has said only that it was investigating the loss of contact.

It did not immediately comment when contacted by AFP again on Sunday.

 

{

Your Opinion Counts

Your thoughts matter - share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.