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Indonesia hopes for Russia divers in search through AirAsia jet crash area

The Indonesian senior rescue official also confirmed that found objects “make part of the missing airbus”

SINGAPORE, January 3. /TASS/. Indonesian authorities hope for aid of Russian divers in the search on the bottom of the Java Sea, where large objects which are parts of the crashed AirAsia jet were found, chief of Indonesian national search and rescue agency Bambang Soelistyo told a news conference in Jakarta on Saturday.

“A unit of 40-50 Russian divers and their Indonesian counterparts are ready to go to the site where two large objects were found,” he said. “We hope that the maximum possible result will be achieved this way,” the agency chief said.

The Indonesian senior rescue official also confirmed that found objects “make part of the missing airbus.” “One object is 9.4 by 4.8 metres by 0.4 metres in size, the second one - 7.2 metres by 0.5 metres,” Soelistyo said, “Now remotely-controlled deepwater vehicles are searching through the area, but bad weather, particularly high waves, are impeding the search,” he added.

In his words, objects are lying at a depth of 30 metres, not far from the settlement of Pangkalan Bun in the central part of Kalimantan Island. Meanwhile, an oil slick was noticed in the same area.

A total 65 ships and vessels, 14 jets and 19 helicopters are involved in the search. A combined emergency team of more than 70 Russian rescuers from Tsentrospas unit and the high risk operation centre Leader came to Indonesia with required equipment on Friday. They are equipped with new-generation, remotely-controlled deepwater vehicle Folkon designed for the search in offshore or internal waters at depths of up to 1,000 metres, an acoustic echo sounder, compressor equipment, motor boats, diving equipment required to examine underwater objects, unmanned aerial vehicles for the search.

On December 28, the AirAsia airliner A320-200 disappeared from radars about 40 minutes after departure from Indonesia to Singapore, presumably flying in the area of Kalimantan (Borneo) Island. The jet was carrying 155 passengers and seven crewmembers.