Indonesian passenger plane crashes with 188 people on board
An Indonesian Lion Air plane has crashed shortly after takeoff in the waters off the islands of Java and Sumatra. The plane was en route from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang. There is no hope of survival for the approximately 190 people on board.
The Boeing 737 "Lion Air" plane with about 190 passengers on board took off from Jakarta Airport to Pangkalpinang on the island of Sumatra at 6:20 a.m. local time (midnight Central European Time) on Monday morning. It disappeared from radar screens just 13 minutes after takeoff and crashed in the waters between the islands of Java and Sumatra.
Rescuers have found parts of the plane 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Jakarta. A spokesman for the rescue team said they had found life jackets, passengers' cell phones and parts of the plane's fuselage.
The plane is believed to have sunk 35 meters into the sea.
Among the approximately 190 passengers on board were two infants, a child, two pilots and five flight crew members.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is still ongoing. The downed plane was brand new. According to experts, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 has been in service with airlines since 2016.
The low-cost airline Lion Air was founded in 1999 and has a fleet of modern Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
