Search Still Continuing For Missing Airbus Aircraft And Passengers

Manggar, Bangka Belitung, Dec 30 (Antara) - Search is still continuing for Airbus A320-200 aircraft with 162 people on board missing since Sunday a few minutes after takeoff from Surabaya for Singapore. "Search could not be made far from the coast. Apart from the vessels being too small we have problem with running out of fuel," commander of the Manggar navy post second Lt. Purwanto said here on Tuesday. A rescue team from Bangka Belitung began to face problem over fuel shortage to go too far to the sea where the aircraft was believed to have crashed. Purwanto said the team, therefore is focused search along the coasts of small islands off in East Belitung especially as the weather is still unfriendly. "The number of team members is also reduced from 30 to 20 or 15 per vessel considering the weather," he said. Ships including warships and aircraft of the country and a number of other friendly countries are involved in the search, but until Tuesday morning there was no signs of the missing aircraft.