JAKARTA/SINGAPORE, Jan 8:
Rescuers plan to start lifting the AirAsia jet’s tail from the seabed in the Java Sea using a balloon tomorrow, a top Indonesian official said today, raising hopes of retrieving the black box crucial to solve the mystery of the fatal crash.
Divers braved high waves to reach the Airbus A320-200’s tail, expected to contain the crucial data recorders that could unravel the mystery of the December 28 crash, but failed to penetrate the wreckage due to strong currents and poor visibility.
“The weather prevented the operation to lift the tail today,” search and rescue agency coordinator Supriyadi told reporters in Pangkalan Bun, the town closest to the site.
“The operation using (a) balloon to lift the tail will start tomorrow,” he added.
Persistent bad weather with strong currents, huge waves and high winds delayed efforts to reach the fuselage believed to contain remaining victims besides the black box.
Meanwhile, four more bodies were recovered today by multi-national vessels in the choppy waters, taking the total number of bodies retrieved so far to 44.
Authorities tried to lift the Airbus A320-200’s tail out of the water but failed, Channel News Asia reported, citing the National Search and Rescue Agency Republic of Indonesia (BASARNAS).
Searchers spotted the tail section – where the black box is located – 30 kms from the plane’s last known location yesterday, a day after divers joined the multi-national hunt.
Divers took advantage of a brief break in today’s weather to try to locate the black box, but were unable to make it past currents and 1-metre visibility, said National Search and Rescue chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo.
Expert teams from Indonesia and France were looking at other options, including a crane to lift the tail, he said. (AGENCIES)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel