The first bodies found from the ill-fated AirAsia Flight QZ8501 that plunged into the Java Sea have arrived back in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, where relatives are waiting.
The Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people from Surabaya to Singapore, disappeared on Sunday and remains were located in the sea on Tuesday when its debris began to float on the sea.
As at the time of filing this report, local authorities disclose that seven bodies have been retrieved, but bad weather is hampering further salvage efforts.
A public memorial will be held in Surabaya on Wednesday evening local time, and the governor of East Java province has told the BBC that all New Year’s Eve celebrations have been cancelled.
On board the plane were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew.
It is not yet clear what happened to the plane but its last communication was a request from air traffic control to climb to avoid bad weather but it seemed too late as the pilot did not respond when given permission.
A three-day search culminated with the discovery of remains including aircraft parts, luggage and the bodies in the Karimata Strait, south-west of the town of Pangkalan Bun in the Indonesian part of Borneo.
“Until now, we haven’t found the plane,” Bambang Soelistyo said, according to Indonesia’s national news agency, Antara. “We’ve only found seven bodies to this day.”
The Seven bodies, four men and three women, have been recovered from the water so far, Soelistyo said. One of the women found was wearing a flight attendant’s uniform, he said.
Tony Fernandes, AirAsia CEO, said it had now been narrowed, with all assets involved in the search being moved to two areas where the aircraft could be.
Meanwhile, strong winds and 2m waves have slowed down the recovery of bodies and debris, with helicopters mostly grounded and divers prevented from searching the waters.
Ships already in place are continuing the search. Mr. Fernandes said they were expecting to operate round the clock.
However, weather predictions indicate further deterioration, with heavy rains until Friday.
Next of kin of passengers and crew have been asked for DNA samples to help identify the bodies when they come in.
Report from Surabaya reveals growing concerns that the remains would be too difficult to identify after more than three days in the water.
On Tuesday Indonesian President Joko Widodo promised a “massive search by the ships and helicopters” with the focus on recovering the bodies.
The Associated Press news agency quoted one official as saying the bodies of victims could end up being washed up on beaches.
“It seems all the wreckage found has drifted more than 50km from yesterday’s location,” Vice Air Marshal Sunarbowo Sandi said.
Pictures of debris and bodies were shown on Indonesian TV to distraught relatives waiting at Surabaya’s Juanda international airport.
Those watching the pictures were visibly shocked, with some collapsing.
The search is being led by Indonesia but it remains a multinational effort. Singapore has sent ships equipped with sensors to detect pings that may be emitted from the plane’s black boxes.
Malaysia, Australia and Thailand are also involved, while the US destroyer USS Sampson has been sent to the zone.
AirAsia previously had an excellent safety record and there were no fatal accidents involving its aircraft.
