Indonesia to continue AirAsia search operation

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) Chairman Bambang Soelistyo said on Wednesday that an operation to search bodies and wreckage from crashed AirAsia Flight QZ8501 would continue despite the end of military's participation in the mission.

Bambang told a press conference at the BASARNAS headquarters that the search operation would resume on Saturday, to be carried out by BASARNAS elements.

"We will give two days off for teams taking part in the operation as they have not taken a rest in one month. Besides that, the days off would be used to supply necessities for vessels and crews for the upcoming operation," Soelistyo said.

He pointed out that the pulling out of the military from the operation would not weaken the capabilities of search teams.

The main focus of the multinational operation, joined by Indonesia, Australia, the United States, Russia, China, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea, was recovering more bodies after two black boxes and the tail section of the Airbus A320-200 were retrieved earlier this month.

Soelistyo said BASARNAS would engage all of its resources, including vessels and helicopters, in the upcoming operation.

Besides that, the operation would be assisted by local government of West Kotawaringin regency, which has been facilitating the search operation, and elements from traditional divers and professional divers working for offshore oil mining facility.

"We have 26 divers of our own. Some 20 others from the SKK Migas would join the operation along with traditional divers. Eight experts would also be eager to join in," Soelistyo said. SKK Migas is Indonesia's oil and gas industry regulator agency.

An advanced search program was underway to support the search, he added.

On Tuesday, the Indonesian military pulled out of the search operation that has been conducted for 31 days.

All military elements involved in the operation were told by the nation's military commander to return to their bases as no more bodies were found from the plane' wreckage in the past two days.

The search operation started on Dec. 28 when the Singapore- bound plane crashed into the Java Sea amid bad weather 40 minutes after its takeoff from Indonesia's city of Surabaya in East Java.

As of now, 70 bodies of a total of 162 people onboard the ill- fated flight have been recovered.

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