“For the time being it can be confirmed that it’s the AirAsia plane and the transport minister will depart soon to Pangkalan Bun,” Djoko Murjatmodjo said.
“Based on observations by search and rescue personnel, significant things have been found such as a passenger door and a cargo door. It’s in the sea, 100 miles [160 kilometres] southwest of Pangkalan Bun,” he said, referring to the town in Central Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo.
Indonesian aerial searchers earlier today spotted items resembling an emergency slide and plane door in the sea as they hunted for traces of the AirAsia plane which disappeared on Sunday (December 28) in a storm over the Java Sea with 162 people on board.
At 3pm it was reported that a body had also been found, but no more details are available as yet.
By 4:30pm the bodies of more than 40 people had been recovered by an Indonesia warship.