Families of AirAsia Victims Appresiate Basarnas's Efficiency

Surabaya, E Java, Jan 1 (Antara) -- The families of QZ8501 victims have appreciated the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) for its efficiency in finding the flight's wreckage and several bodies on the third day of search. "On behalf of the victims' families, I appreciate the promptness of Basarnas in collaborating with various parties, including military and police personnel, who had found the debris of the plane," Bambang Andreas, the father of Ratri Sri Indriyani, one of the passengers of the ill-fated air plane, said here on Thursday. "I am very sad to lose a child. But we hope that rescue teams would evacuate the bodies of (all) the passengers," he added. Although chances are slim, Bambang is quite optimistic that his daughter is alive. According to him, there is nothing impossible in this world. "It is not impossible, and I am convinced Ratri is alive. But if reality turns out to be different from our expectation, we will remain sincere and tawaqal (believe wholeheartedly in God)," Andreas remarked. Andreas added that on behalf of all the passengers of the ill-fated airplane, he also appreciates Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini who, from the first day of the calamity until now, has been assisting the families of the victims and collecting data. The aircraft, which took off at 5:36 a.m. local time from Surabaya and was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at around 8:30 a.m. local time, had gone missing with 155 passengers and seven crew members on board. Basarnas Chief F. H. Bambang Sulistyo later confirmed that the aircraft had crashed and found its debris in Karimata Strait waters, Central Kalimantan Island, on Tuesday (Dec. 30). After four days of search and rescue operations, a joint team led by Basarnas and involving several institutions, such as the Air Force, Navy, Police, and foreign ships, have discovered some debris, including an emergency exit door and eight bodies. Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the United States, China, India, South Korea, Japan, and Britain have lent assistance in searching for the missing plane and any investigation into the accident. (*)