The Indonesian Navy on Tuesday said it has recovered 40 bodies from the sea, off the coast of Borneo, Reuters news agency reported.
While the plane is yet to be found, its wreckages have also been recovered from under the sea.
Indonesia had earlier deployed naval ships, planes, and helicopters in a search that is also being assisted by neighbouring Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.
Authorities announced the missing Airbus A320-200, an Indonesia AirAsia’s Flight QZ8501 on Sunday morning about 45 minutes after it left Surabaya, Indonesia , at 5:30 a.m. local time. Carrying 162 people, the plane was scheduled to arrive Singapore at 8:30 a.m. local time.
Authorities have said the plane was in good condition, having undergone maintenance on November 16, but that the pilot reported bad weather and had asked to ascend by 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds.
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