A relative of a missing passenger has reportedly received a text message from an unknown sender, stating that the plane made an emergency landing and all passengers were alive. The Indonesian Transportation Ministry is examining these claims.BALI (INDONESIA), December 28 (Sputnik) Indonesian Ministry ofTransportation is currently verifying information claiming that the missing AirAsia aircraft has made an emergency landing inthe eastern part ofthe Belitung island inthe Java Sea, the ministry's representative said Sunday.
"We atthe [crisis] center [in Jakarta] have not received such information yet. According tosome data, our colleagues inSurabaya have learned it. We are currently checking this," the ministry's representative J. A. Barata told Detik.com.
According toDetik.com, a relative ofa missing passenger received a text message froman unknown sender, stating that the plane made an emergency landing and all passengers were alive.
AirAsia flight QZ8501 en route fromSurabaya, Indonesia toSingapore, lost contact withair traffic control at07:24 a.m. local time (00:24 GMT) and went missing.
Earlier inthe day, AirAsia issued a statement confirming the crash ofthe aircraft, while the Indonesian Ministry ofTransportation said it was not ready toconfirm this information.
The destiny ofthe 162 people onboard remains unknown.
Search and rescue operations are being conducted bythe Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) underthe guidance ofthe Indonesian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Malaysia, Singapore and Australia have also offered toassist insearch forthe missing aircraft.
By Sputnik News
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