In a tragic incident, a Lion Air Boeing 737 passenger plane with 188 passengers on board crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Jakarta. The jet was travelling to Pangkal Pinang, a town in the Bangka Belitung Islands. However, the plane lost contact with the ground authorities in just 13 minutes after taking off.
Crisis Center Penanganan Jatuhnya Pesawat Lion Air JT 610.
Silakan menghubungi crisis center di nomor 021-80820000 dan untuk infomasi penumpang di nomor 021-80820002.
Corporate Communications Strategic of Lion Air, Danang Mandala Prihantoro +62 8788 033 3170 pic.twitter.com/wtUQxVytXt
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) October 29, 2018
Indonesia’s disaster agency chief Sutopo Purwo Nugroho has tweeted the images of the crash. The image shows the debris and personal belongings of the passengers floating in the sea. He also shared a video in which floating debris and an oil slick can be seen.
Informing about the incident, search and rescue agency head Muhmmad Syaugi said that wreckage had been found near the place where the plane lost contact with air traffic authorities. “We hope, we pray, but we cannot confirm,” Reuters quoted him as saying. So far, the cause of the crash has not been confirmed. Reuters reported that the officials were in the process of collecting all data from the control tower.
Further details awaited