Search for missing flight QZ8501 restarts tomorrow
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E-mail China.org.cn, December 28, 2014
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Photo taken on Dec. 28, 2014 shows an Indonesian television broadcasting the possible location of missing Air Asia flight QZ 8501. Air Asia said on Sunday in a statement that its flight QZ8501 from Surabaya of Indonesia to Singapore lost contact with the air traffic control soon after taking off from Surabaya. [Photo/Xinhua] |
Indonesia has halted search for the day for missing AirAsia plane QZ8501, media reports say.
Hadi Mustofa, Indonesian Transport Ministry official, tells AFP: "We ended at 1730 (1030 GMT) because it was getting dark. The weather was also not too good as it was getting really cloudy."
"Tomorrow we will begin at 7 am, or even earlier than that if the weather is good," he added.
The remarks come after AirAsia said Sunday in a statement that the flight QZ8501 from Surabaya in Indonesia's East Java province to Singapore had lost contact with air traffic control at 6:17 a.m. Jakarta time Sunday (2317 GMT Saturday).
There were 155 passengers and seven crew members on board the Singapore-bound Airbus A320-200 aircraft, including 16 children and an infant, the airline said in a statement.
Indonesia has been deploying three planes and ships to search for the missing plane. The Singapore air force and the navy were also searching with two C-130 planes.
AirAsia said in its tweet that it has established an Emergency Call Center for the family or friends of those who may have been on board the plane. The number is: +622129850801.
China.org.cn made a phone call on 12:55 a.m. Beijing time to the given number, but the line was busy.
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People related to passengers of AirAsia flight QZ 8501 arrive at a holding area for next-of-kins and relatives at Changi Airport in Singapore Dec 28, 2014. [Photo/Agencies via China Daily] |
Indonesian Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said the plane had asked for an unusual route before it lost contact.
The flight had been due in Singapore at 8:30 a.m. Singapore time (0030 GMT).
AirAsia Bhd group CEO Tony Fernandes is heading to Surabaya on Sunday to cooperate in the search and rescue efforts for the missing flight QZ8501. "On my way to Surabaya where most of the passengers are from as with my Indonesian management. Providing information as we get it," he said on Twitter. "My only thought is with the passengers and my crew. We put our hope in the search and rescue operation and thank the Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysian governments,"he added.
AirAsia is a Malaysia-based airline popular in the region as a budget carrier. It has about 100 destinations, with subsidiaries in several Asian nations.
The loss of contact with the AirAsia plane comes nearly 10 months after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which lost contact during its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.
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