International search planes and ships scouring Indonesian waters for a missing AirAsia plane yesterday focused on a patch of oil for possible clues, as a top official warned that the aircraft was likely at the bottom of the sea.
Australia, Singapore and Malaysia joined the Indonesia-led search as relatives waited for news of their loved ones more than a day after Flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java Sea on Sunday with 162 people on board.
The Airbus A320-200 lost contact en route from Surabaya in Indonesia’s Java Island to Singapore after the crew requested a change of flight plan due to stormy weather, in the third crisis to hit a Malaysian carrier this year.
PHOTO: AFP
Indonesian Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters that the search was now concentrated on an oil patch spotted off Belitung Island in the Java Sea.
“We are making sure whether it was avtur [aviation fuel] from the AirAsia plane or from a vessel because that location is a shipping line,” he said.
Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said an object spotted at sea was not from the plane.
“The government will not give up and is not giving a time limit for the search,” he said.
Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) chief Bambang Soelistyo earlier said it was likely that the plane was at the “bottom of the sea.”
The hypothesis is “based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea,” Bambang Soelistyo told journalists.
Intan, 28, said Indonesia needed overseas help to find the plane that was carrying her brother and his family and friends.
“My hope is Indonesia seeks as much help as possible from other countries. Don’t claim: ‘We have sophisticated technology,’ just ask other countries because they are better equipped,” she said, as Jakarta welcomed offers of help.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS