TASS, October 29. A passenger plane operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air airline en route from Jakarta to Pangkalpinang crashed on Monday, Reuters reported citing a spokesman for Indonesia’s search and rescue service.

"It has been confirmed that it has crashed," Yusuf Latif has been quoted as saying.

According to the official, a tug boat leaving the Jakarta port had seen the aircraft falling. According to the Flightradar 24 air tracking service, the plane was a Boeing 737 MAX 8. The jet lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff.

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency has deployed boats, helicopter and 130 rescuers, including teams from three cities including Jakarta, Bandung and Lampung to the vicinity of the crash site in the Java Sea, 34 nautical miles off the coast near Jakarta.

There were 188 passengers on board the plane operated by Lion Air airlines, which crashed in Indonesia, the Detik news website reported citing a spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Agency.