An Indonesian Marine Policeman checks his surroundings from his search and rescue crafts as he and his crew members prepare a search operation for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501
Objects have been spotted in the sea in the area where a missing AirAsia passenger plane went down.
An Indonesian official said the objects had been seen by Australian planes.
The sighting of what could possibly be wreckage from the Airbus A320-200 came after a rescue official said the aircraft, which was carrying 162 people, was likely to be at the bottom of the sea.
Members of Indonesia’s Marine Police hold a briefing on board a search and rescue craft prior to their heading out to sea to search for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501
The flight crew of the plane had asked to divert due to safety fears amid stormy conditions before contact was lost with air traffic control. It was on its way from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore.
The search for the missing plane, which had 155 passengers and seven crew on board, resumed today, after being suspended due to poor weather conditions.
Twelve navy ships, five planes, three helicopters and a number of warships are searching an area of east and south-east Belitung island and nearby waters, said First Admiral Sigit Setiayana, of the Naval Aviation Centre Commander at the Surabaya air force base.
He said visibility for the search is good.
“God willing, we can find it soon,” he added.
A member of the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) points to a map of a search area during a briefing prior to a search and rescue operation of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501
