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11/21/2024 09:18:41 pm

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AirAsia Confirms Debris Found In Indonesian Waters Are From Missing 8501 Plane

AirASia

(Photo : REUTERS/Edgar Su) Staff members unload AirAsia's QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore, which took the same code as the missing plane that took off 24 hours earlier, after it landed at Changi Airport in Singapore December 29, 2014.

AirAsia made it official that the debris and other remains found today in the middle of the Java Sea were confirmed to belong to the missing AirAsia aircraft that vanished on Sunday morning with 162 people aboard.

"AirAsia Indonesia regrets to inform that The National Search and Rescue Agency Republic of Indonesia (BASARNAS) today confirmed that the debris found earlier today is indeed from QZ8501," ABC news cited the airline's statement as saying, "the flight that had lost contact with air traffic control on the morning of 28th December 2014."

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The number of dead bodies went down from 6 to 3 as per the latest count of Indonesian officials, and they belong to 2 women and 1 man.

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency head Bambang Soelistyo, told the press that the retrieval is being delayed due to the bad weather in the area, but they will go on and look for more of the remains tonight until Wednesday. He also said that a shadow in the form of the plane was also detected in the water.

The wreckage was seen near the location where air traffic control started losing contact with the jet. Officials also reported that the objects were found in less than 100 feet deep off the Indonesian waters.

The airline's CEO Tony Fernandes posted on Twitter his deepest sympathies to the families affected by this tragedy.

"My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ8501. Words cannot express how sorry I am," Fernandes' recent tweet said.

The operation will continue with the help of Singapore as well as their defense minister Ng Eng Hen announced on Facebook that tonight, three of their ships will go to the area to continue with the search.

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