REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, EAST BELITUNG -- The Search and Rescue (SAR) Team of Bangka Belitung Province is focusing its search for the missing AirAsia QZ8501 aircraft at Long Island, 50 miles off Manggar Port, East Belitung District, Bangka Belitung province.
"On the third day, we will be focusing on three locations, which are Long Island, Karang Barat, and Karang Tiung, which cover 280 miles of search area," Commander of Navy Post of Manggar Second Lieutenant Purwanto stated here in Manggar, East Belitung District, on Tuesday (30/12).
Three ships will be deployed to carry out the search operation, with each being manned by 15 to 20 personnel.
"The number of deployed personnel has been reduced to improve buoyancy. We had previously deployed 30 personnel in each ship," Purwanto stated.
The SAR Team is gathering at the Integrated SAR Post of Manggar, awaiting information from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) for combing the defined locations.
"The team is ready, and we are waiting for information from the Basarnas. The current weather is not suitable for us (to conduct search operation)," Purwanto noted.
The search on the third day is divided into two sectors, which are the fourth sector and ninth sector in East Belitung and Belitung.
In the fourth sector, the search will focus on the waters around Long Island, while in the ninth sector, the team will comb the southern waters of Belitung.
Rough weather and high waves are hindering the search operation at Long Island.
"However, it is safe to comb areas at the seaside around small islands in that area," Purwanto reported.
AirAsia's Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people, has gone missing since Sunday morning (Dec. 28) after losing contact with air traffic control on its way from Surabaya, East Java, to Singapore.
The Indonesian AirAsia flight QZ8501 lost contact after the pilot sought permission for an altitude change from 32 thousand feet to 38 thousand feet due to inclement weather over the sea area between Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan.
The jet was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members. It took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 5:36 a.m. local time and lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control at 6:17 a.m. local time.
The plane, piloted by Captain Iriyanto and First Officer (FO) Remi Emmanuel Plesel, was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 8:30 a.m. local time.
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