Qz8501 tragedy: Two more bodies found, total now 53

Two more bodies of victims on board the ill-fated AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501 have been found in the primary search location, and transferred to Pangkalan Bun by a search and rescue ship.

AirAsia, in a statement yesterday, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has confirmed finding 53 bodies, of which 45 had been identified.

Six are still in the process of identification and two more have yet to reach Hospital Bhayangkara.

The statement said the Disaster Victim Identification Department of the Indonesian police was currently gathering more DNA proof to determine the identities of the six unidentified bodies.

Meanwhile, the search and rescue mission continues, although big waves and strong winds prevented divers from getting close to fragments of the aircraft fuselage which was at a depth of 28m in the Jawa sea bed.

"The divers tried to get close to the fragments for further inspection but they had to return to the surface because of the rough sea," said the statement.

However, Basarnas has assured the search and rescue mission for Flight QZ8501 victims was still their primary focus as they believed there were more bodies trapped under the fragments.

- Bernama