Kuala Lumpur: The search team continued their efforts to locate the wreckage of the Sriwijaya Air plane since yesterday, which crashed into the sea minutes after taking off from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. It is believed that more than 60 people were onboard. Authorities also used sonar radar in search operations.
AFP reports that divers put at least three areas in the location with three balloons. The search operation involved hundreds of members of the security and defense forces, including the navy and police.
In addition, 10 warships were also sent to the scene.
Data from FlightRadar24 shows that the aircraft flew at an altitude of 11,000 feet (3,350 meters), before suddenly flying at an altitude of 250 feet.
It then loses contact with the air control tower.
Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said the plane was found to have deviated from its original route before it disappeared from radar.
Sriwijaya Air, which owns about 19 Boeing planes flying to Indonesia and Southeast Asia, said it would investigate the cause of the loss.
Indonesia’s aviation sector, previously, had a bad reputation and was banned from entering European and US airspace.
In 2014, an AirAsia plane crashed and killed 162 people.