PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia--Two days after finding the fuselage of
AirAsia Flight 8501 at the bottom of the Java Sea, diving teams
have been unable to determine whether there are any bodies of
victims inside, officials said Friday.
Because of the difficulty divers face getting into the fuselage,
officials said they are considering lifting the 85-foot-long piece
of wreckage from the sea floor before recovering any remains that
might be in it.
So far, 50 bodies have been recovered floating at sea or in the
tail section, which was found last week. Officials hope that many
more remain inside the fuselage.
There were 162 passengers and crew on board the flight, which
crashed Dec. 28 en route from Surabaya to Singapore.
The fuselage is at a depth of about 105 feet, said Suyadi
Bambang Supriyadi, director of operations for Indonesia's
search-and-rescue agency. Divers attempting to explore the wreckage
have been hampered by strong currents and poor visibility.
The wreckage of the fuselage was found by a Singapore vessel
assisting Indonesia in the search. Singapore Defense Minister Ng
Eng Hen, who announced the discovery, said on his Facebook page
that part of a wing was still attached.
Photos taken by a remotely operated vehicle showed the fuselage
with Air Asia's slogan on its side, "Now Everyone Can Fly."
After finding the wreckage, the Singapore team marked the
location with buoys attached to weights weighing 20 kilograms, or
about 44 pounds.
"Job done and the wreckage underwater is now clearly marked,"
Mr. Ng said on his Facebook page.
The search for the aircraft has been a multinational effort, but
most of the foreign ships involved in the operation have departed,
including two U.S. Navy vessels, the USS Sampson and the USS Fort
Worth.
Access Investor Kit for AirAsia Bhd.
Visit
http://www.companyspotlight.com/partner?cp_code=P479&isin=MYL5099OO006
Access Investor Kit for Facebook, Inc.
Visit
http://www.companyspotlight.com/partner?cp_code=P479&isin=US30303M1027
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires