QZ8501: More Vessels And Aircraft To Join The SAR Operation

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- More vessels and aircraft are joining the search for the missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501 as the operation enters its third day Tuesday. According to the the United States Embassy in Malaysia through its Twitter account, the United States' Seventh Fleet had positioned the USS Sampson and was now on its way to support the search operation. The Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby had also confirmed this in his Twitter account. The vessel was expected to arrive at the scene later Tuesday. The AFP on the other hand had reported that South Korea was sending a P-3 reconnaissance plane and China was also sending a frigate and military aircraft to help with the search. To date, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia have sent their assets to assist the search, joining the Indonesian government. Indonesia's Transportation Ministry through a statement in their website Tuesday said currently, there were 14 aircraft involved in the search operation, including four each from the Indonesian Navy and Air Force, one from the ministry itself, two from Australia, one from Malaysia and another two from Singapore. Other than aircraft, 44 vessels were also involved, including three from Singapore while the remaining were from Indonesia. The search Tuesday which was expanded to 13 sectors from seven Monday, according to the statement, also involved 16 helicopters including those from Indonesian Air Force, Navy, Army, Police and Basarnas as well as assistance from Singapore Flight QZ8501, an Airbus A320-200 carrying 162 people, had taken off at 5.20 am from Surabaya, Indonesia, on Sunday, and was scheduled to land at Singapore’s Changi Airport at 8.30 am the same day. It last contacted the Air Traffic Control at 6.12 am Indonesian time (7.12 am Malaysian time). Those on board the missing plane, comprise 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, a Singaporean, a Malaysian, a Briton and a French. -- BERNAMA