Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia:
Indonesian officials coming off a helicopter on Borneo island Tuesday said they have recovered several bodies floating in waters near where the missing AirAsia flight was last seen. Images on local television showed at least one bloated corpse.
The bodies, swollen but intact, were brought to an Indonesian navy ship, National Search and Rescue Director SB Supriyadi told reporters in the nearest town, Pangkalan Bun. The corpses did not have life jackets on.
Navy spokesman Manahan Simorangkir confirmed the discovery to TVOne, saying several victims were found, but he did not indicate whether they were dead or alive. Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told MetroTV at least one body was found.
Red and white debris spotted off the coast of Indonesia's part of Borneo island was part of an AirAsia plane that disappeared over the Java sea with 162 people two days ago, an Indonesian transport official said earlier on Tuesday.
Aerial searchers had spotted items resembling an emergency slide and plane door in the sea as they hunted for traces of the AirAsia plane which disappeared Sunday in a storm over the Java Sea with 162 people on board. It was en route from Indonesia's second largest city Surabaya to Singapore.