Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Search scene hampered by bad weather, prospect of bodies sinking: officials

PANGKALAN BUN, INDONESIA — The search for crash wreckage and bodies from the ill-fated Air Asia flight QZ8501 could be hampered in the days ahead by inclement weather and the prospect of bodies sinking into the sea, said Indonesian officials at the frontline of search efforts yesterday (Jan 1).

A crewmember of an Indonesian Air Force Super Puma helicopter of 6th Air Squadron uses a binocular to scan the horizon during a search operation for the victims of AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 over the Java Sea January 1, 2015.  REUTERS

A crewmember of an Indonesian Air Force Super Puma helicopter of 6th Air Squadron uses a binocular to scan the horizon during a search operation for the victims of AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 over the Java Sea January 1, 2015. REUTERS

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

PANGKALAN BUN, INDONESIA — The search for crash wreckage and bodies from the ill-fated Air Asia flight QZ8501 could be hampered in the days ahead by inclement weather and the prospect of bodies sinking into the sea, said Indonesian officials at the frontline of search efforts yesterday (Jan 1).

Floating bodies of crash victims are expected to sink five to six days after death due to gas released during decomposition, officials told reporters, making it difficult for surface vessels to spot and retrieve them on the choppy seas.

Indonesian search and rescue agency BASARNAS head FB Soelistyo said yesterday (Jan 1) nine bodies had been recovered so far, with the majority of them sent to Surabaya, while the ninth body is still on an Indonesian navy ship, Channel NewsAsia reported.

Some of the bodies recovered three days after the crash on Sunday were already “bloated” and “blackened”, said Brigadier General Arthur Tampi, Chief of Medicine and Health at the Indonesian police, at Pangkalan Bun’s Imannudin Hospital where the bodies were cleaned and placed in coffins before it was flown to Surabaya.

Heavy rain and strong winds around Pangkalan Bun have also forced the Indonesian authorities to cancel some aerial searches over the past two days, said Air Vice-Marshal Sunarbowo Sandi, the coordinator of search and rescue for the crash.

Wind speeds have increased to 38 knots, up from the usual 25 knots, he said, adding that naval ships had to deal with waves up to 4m high as well. Nonetheless, Mr Sunarbowo said the search efforts would continue and ships with sonar capabilities would scan the seas even in bad weather.

The AirAsia flight crashed en route from Surabaya to Singapore on Sunday. There were 162 passengers and crew on board. As of yesterday (Jan 1), only eight out of the nine bodies retrieved have been sent to Surabaya, in three separate flights.

Only two bodies were found yesterday (Jan 1), in contrast to seven on Tuesday. Search and Rescue teams have been instructed by to comb a 150km-long stretch along the Kalimantan coast for debris and bodies washed up on shore, said Vice-Marshal Sunarbowo.

Although the seven bodies were discovered three days ago, the Indonesian navy faced considerable difficulties bringing the bodies to the nearest city, Pangkalan Bun.

The river leading into the city was too narrow for the Indonesian navy ship holding the bodies to pass through, officials said. Operations were also complicated by heavy rain and strong winds around the city, they added.

One of the bodies found on Tuesday has been identified as an AirAsia female attendant. She was found clad in her attendant uniform, with a name tag attached. Meanwhile, the first victim was buried yesterday (Jan 1), identified as Hayati Lutfiah Hamid. Her identity was confirmed by fingerprints and other means, said Col Budiyono of East Java’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit.

All bodies were found intact, said health officials. Although the bodies were already badly decomposed when found, it was not treated with formaldehyde as doing so could affect DNA matching with their Next-of-Kin in Surabaya, said BG Arthur.

To prevent further deterioration, forensic teams at the hospital have applied ointments onto victims’ fingers. The fingers were then wrapped in plastic to prepare them for disaster victim identification in Surabaya. The forensic teams also took note of victims’ clothing and any other personal attributes, he said.

 

Related topics

qz8501

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.