Indonesian Passenger Flight Carrying 188 People Crashes Into Sea

Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said on Monday that a Lion Air passenger flight from Jakarta, the capital, to the city of Pangkal Pinang off the island of Sumatra, had crashed into the sea.

There was no immediate word on fatalities or injuries. The plane was carrying 188 people, including crew.

“It has been confirmed that it has crashed,” Yusuf Latif, a spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Agency, said by text message, when asked about the fate of the Lion Air plane. The plane lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff, according to the official.

“We can confirm that one of our flights has lost contact,” said Lion Air spokesman Danang Mandala Prihantoro. “Its position cannot be ascertained yet.”

Debris thought to be from the plane, including aircraft seats, was found near an offshore refining facility, an official of state energy firm Pertamina told Reuters.

Wreckage had been found near where the Lion Air plane lost contact with air traffic officials on the ground, said Muhmmad Syaugi, the head of the search and rescue agency.

The jet was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, according to air tracking service Flightradar 24.

“We cannot give any comment at this moment, said Edward Sirait, chief executive of Lion Air Group. “We are trying to collect all the information and data.”

Lion Air is one of Indonesia’s youngest and biggest airlines, flying to dozens of domestic and international destinations.

In 2013, one of its Boeing 737-800 jets missed the runway while landing on the resort island of Bali, crashing into the sea without causing any fatalities among the 108 people on board.