Indonesia plane crash search finds remains, debris at sea

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Rescuers in inflatable boats retrieved human remains, pieces of aircraft and personal belongings from the Java Sea on Monday after a Boeing jet operated by an Indonesian budget airline crashed minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 people on board.

Distraught family members struggled to comprehend the sudden loss of loved ones in the crash of the two-month-old Lion Air plane with experienced pilots in fine weather.

They gathered at crisis centres set up by the authorities, hoping desperately for a miracle. But a top search official, citing the condition of the remains recovered, said no survivors are expected.

The disaster is a setback for Indonesia’s airline industry, which just emerged from decade-long bans by the European Union and the U.S. over safety concerns.

President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation and urged Indonesians to “keep on praying.”

The crash of the Boeing 737 Max 8 is the latest in a series of tragedies that have struck Indonesia this year, including earthquakes and a tsunami that killed several thousand people.

Air transport official Novie Riyanto said the flight was cleared to return to Jakarta after the pilot made a “return to base” request two to three minutes after taking off. It plunged into the sea about 10 minutes later. Weather conditions were normal but the plane, which Lion Air received in August, had experienced an unspecified technical issue on its previous flight.

Relatives and friends wept, prayed and hugged each other at Jakarta’s airport and at Bangka island off Sumatra where the plane was headed on a one-hour flight. Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani headed to the search-and-rescue agency’s headquarters in Jakarta for information. About 20 ministry staff were on the flight.

More than 300 people including soldiers, police and fishermen are involved in the grim search, retrieving aircraft debris and personal items from the seas northeast of Jakarta.

Search and Rescue Agency chief Muhammad Syaugi said he’s certain it won’t take long to locate the hull of the aircraft and its black box due to the relatively shallow 25-to-30-metre depths of the water.

Lion Air said there were two foreigners on the plane: one of the pilots, Indian national Bhavye Suneja, and an Italian citizen.