Search and rescue efforts in the recent fatal airplane crash of low-cost carrier Lion Air are underway (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese leaders sent messages of sympathy onOctober 30 to Indonesian leaders over the recent fatal airplane crash of low-costcarrier Lion Air.
GeneralSecretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong, andPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc cabled a message of sympathy to IndonesianPresident Joko Widodo, while Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi KimNgan sent her sympathies to Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly Zulkifli Hasan.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh alsooffered condolences to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
The Boeing737 Max 8 run by low-cost carrier Lion Air, which was carrying 189 peopleonboard, crashed into the sea on October 29. It lost contact with air trafficcontrol just 13 minutes after takeoff. The jet was en route from Jakarta toPangkalpinang in Bangka Belitung province, off Sumatra island.
Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said on October 29 that there would be nosurvivors from the Lion Air plane. Indonesian search and rescue officialBambang Suryo Aji told the press that he was not expecting anyone to havesurvived, adding that some bodies had already been recovered.
In an official statement, the rescue agency said the reason for the crash wasstill uncertain. Recovery efforts are underway.
Lion Air, which was founded in 1999, is the biggest private airline inIndonesia, dominating more than 40 percent of the market. –VNA
VNA
