The agency has yet to get details about the bodies found, Chief of the Basarnas Vice Marshall Bambang Soelistyo stated, adding that he hoped some of the victims survived.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has yet to determine the number of victims of AirAsia QZ8501, which is believed to have crashed in the waters near Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan.

"We will continue to try to identify the objects already found. However, we cannot ascertain the number of victims yet," Chief of the Basarnas Vice Marshall Bambang Soelistyo said here on Tuesday.

He made the remarks following the discovery of a number of objects that are believed to be parts of the missing plane.

The agency has yet to get details about the bodies found, Soelistyo stated, adding that he hoped some of the victims survived.

Soelistyo did not want to speculate on the fate of the passengers of the AirAsia aircraft, which went missing during its flight from Surabaya to Singapore on Sunday and is believed to have crashed in the waters of Karimata Strait, near Palangkalan Bun.

"We do not have exact figures. But we hope some survived," he added.

The plane had 155 passengers aboard, along with seven crew members, when it lost contact.

Furthermore, the Basarnas chief noted that he was 95 percent convinced that the floating object seen in the sea southwest of Pangkalan Bun was one of the emergency exit doors of AirAsia QZ8501.

"I am 95 percent certain that the object is part of the missing aircraft that we are searching for. But it is possible that the object is something else as we have not seen it ourselves; I only received a report on the discovery from the Search and Rescue (SAR) team," Soelistyo explained.

Earlier, the SAR team detected 10 objects suspected to be parts of the AirAsia flight some 105 miles from Pangkalan Bun. The location is about 10 kilometers from where the aircraft lost contact with the air traffic control.

Soelistyo pointed out that aircraft C925 of the air force found white objects, or debris, believed to be parts of AirAsia QZ8501. The debris was found floating in the sea at the coordinates of 3 degrees 4650 southern latitude, 110 degrees 2927 eastern longitude at 8.a. m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB).

At 11.30 a. m., aircraft C-130 of the air force detected a metal object at the coordinates of 3 degrees 5043 southern latitude, 110 degrees 2921 eastern longitude.

About an hour later at 12.40 p. m., the air forces C-130 aircraft located the flights emergency exit door at the coordinates of 3 degrees 5448 southern latitude, 110 degrees 314 eastern longitude.

Warship KRI Bung Tomo evacuated the suspected emergency exit door at 2.10 p. m. at the coordinates of 4 degrees 50 southern latitude, 110 degrees 160 eastern longitude, which is near Pangkalan Bun.

Moreover, Soelistyo affirmed that the Basarnas had deployed 21 divers to look for AirAsia QZ8051 in the waters of Pangkalan Bun.

"Some 21 divers, including 11 Indonesian Navy personnel and 10 rescue team members, will search the AirAsia debris site," he said.

He added that the divers will carry out the search operations 25 to 30 meters below sea level, which are safe diving depths.

The rescue teams will not use search tools as the areas are accessible.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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