A day after a Boeing 737 jet crashed into the Java Sea with its 62 passengers, Indonesia police have revealed that they are still recovering body parts, clothes and wreckage.
The ill-fated passenger jet had taken off on Saturday, 9 January 2021 from Jakarta, Indonesia. Within minutes of takeoff, the aviation centre lost contact with it.
According to Flightradar24, the Boeing 737 started experiencing problems four minutes into the flight. It dropped 10,000 feet in altitude in one minute. Then, the authorities could not get any signal at all from it.
Jakarta police and the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency swung into action immediately but could not report a breakthrough until Sunday.
The police claims to have found human remains, clothes and debris from the plane. Authorities are also asking family members of the victims to provide DNA samples or dental/medical records to identify them.
See also: Boeing 737 planes grounded in China and Ethiopia after fatal crash
For now, there is no information about what caused the crash. However, Flightradar24 mentions that there was a heavy monsoon season rain when the plane took off. Additionally, the bad weather had caused a delay earlier in the day before the flight was cleared.
The fatal crash has been described as a tragedy for the world. It will also, no doubt, further cast more doubts on the reputation of Boeing 737 planes.
Wikipedia says that as of January 2021; there has been a total of 502 aviation accidents and incidents involving all 737 aircraft, including 218 hull losses resulting in a total of 5,585 fatalities.
Reacting via its Twitter handle, the company acknowledged the crash:
We are aware of media reports from Jakarta regarding Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182. Our thoughts are with the crew, passengers, and their families. We are in contact with our airline customer and stand ready to support them during this difficult time.
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) January 9, 2021
May the departed soul rest in perfect peace.