Rescuers Find Three More Bodies of AirAsia Victims

Pangkalan Bun, C Kalimantan (Antara) -- Rescuers found three more bodies of victims of the ill-fated AirAsia flight QZ8501 on Thursday, the 12th day of search operations, bringing the total count to 43. "The number of bodies found till the 12th day has reached 43. Of the total, 41 have been transported to Surabaya, East Java, and two others will be taken to Pangkalan Bun," Director of Search Operations and Training of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) S. B. Supriyadi said at the Iskandar Airbase here Thursday evening. He added that on Friday, the 13th day since the incident, efforts will be focused on lifting the airplane's tail. For this purpose, six balancing float tools for warship KRI Banda Aceh will be dispatched from Surabaya. "Scanners detected an object some 10 meters long and 5 meters wide. But it has yet to be confirmed that the object is, indeed, part of the AirAsia flight," he stated. (*)