The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) found three bodies and plane debris from Air Asia flight QZ8501 at 2:30 pm local time today.
The bodies and other objects were located 105 nautical miles southwest off the coast of Pangkalan Bun, Central Borneo.
“[The bodies and plane debris] were spread in an area of 5 square kilometers in the sea,” said SB Supriyadi, Operational Director of the Basarnas unit in Pangkalan Bun, as quoted by Tempo.
Initially, Basarnas wanted to evacuate the bodies via helicopter, but the weather conditions in the area are preventing safe travel by air.
“Now there’s the [Indonesian Navy ship] KRI Bung Tomo which is heading to the location to evacuate the bodies and locate other victims,” Supriyadi said.
KRI Bung Tomo will be the operational hub for search and rescue efforts in the area.
The bodies will be identified on board the KRI Bung Tomo and then taken to Surabaya.
“Since there are many families of the victims [in Surabaya], a forensics team is being transported to the ship,” Supriyadi said.
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