Wreckage and bodies of missing AirAsia plane found

Debris of the missing AirAsia passenger airliner has been found. The door of the passenger cabin and the hatch of the luggage hold were found at sea some 160 kilometers to the south-west off Pangkalan-Bun,  a town in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia.

Photo: AP photo

Rescuers searching for the missing AirAsia plane found bodies and wreckage of the jetliner. There were 162 people on board the plane. According to officials, the sea is 25-30 meters deep in the area, where the debris of the plane was found.

On  December 28, the passenger jetliner of AirAsia disappeared from radar screens about 40 minutes after departure. At around the same time, local residents heard the sound of an explosion.  

At least 40 bodies have been recovered as the rescue operation continues. About 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States had been involved in the search of up to 10,000 square nautical miles (34,299 square kilometres).