A Lion Air passenger jet crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on Monday morning (local time) with 188 passengers and crew on board, reported The Associated Press.
A spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster agency said the flight was carrying 181 passengers, including one child and two babies, and seven crew members.
A search and rescue effort is underway for the Boeing 737-800, which departed the Indonesian capital about 6:20 a.m. local time for Pangkal Pinang.
Contact was lost with the plane shortly after it left Jakarta.
A telegram from the National Search and Rescue Agency to the air force has requested assistance with the search of a location at sea off Java.