The rescue service has discovered vests, cell phones, and aircraft parts. The wreckage of the plane lies at a depth of about 35 meters in the sea. The hope of finding survivors is low.

Indonesian Plane Crash

In Indonesia, a passenger plane crashed with more than 180 people on board. The Boeing 737 of the Indonesian budget airline Lion Air disappeared on Monday a few minutes after take-off in the capital Jakarta from the radar screens. It is believed that it fell on the way to the island of Bangka into the sea.

The emergency services discovered the first rubble, as the authorities announced. The hope of finding survivors is low.

The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang on the island of Bangka. According to the Ministry of Transport, 180 passengers were on board. The number of crew members is given as at least six. Whether foreigners were on board remained initially open.

A spokesman for the emergency services, Muhammad Syaugii, said, “We’ve discovered life jackets, cell phones, and aircraft parts.” It is believed that the wreckage of the plane lies at the depth of about 35 meters in the sea.

The Boeing took off at 06:20 local time (00:20 CET) in Jakarta. Most recently, JT-610 flight was located at Karawang in West Java province, said a spokesperson for the National Search and Rescue Service. The radio contact with the aircraft also got canceled, the flight control center reported.

Lion Air is an Indonesian budget airline founded in 1999. The rapidly expanding company, which uses modern jets manufactured by Boeing and Airbus, mainly serves destinations within Indonesia. However, there are also a few foreign destinations on the route plan of Lion Air. The fleet includes more than 100 planes.

Sources: Die Presse