Thailand offers help in AirAsia plane search

Bangkok, Dec 29: Thailand Monday said it was ready to assist Indonesia "in any way possible" in the search for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, which disappeared Sunday en route from Indonesia to Singapore.

"I have instructed all relevant ministries to be on standby to assist promptly in the ongoing search and rescue operations," Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said, according to a Xinhua report.

The Airbus A320-200 aircraft with 155 passengers and seven crew members onboard went missing soon after taking off from Surabaya in Indonesia's East Java province Sunday morning.

The aircraft was at 32,000 feet over the Java Sea in Indonesian territory when it lost contact with the air traffic control. A thunderstorm was raging in the area at that time.

No significant result has been found in the second-day search for it Monday.

An Indonesian official told the media that the missing jet was believed to have sunk to the bottom of the sea.

"At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go out to all passengers and crew members of the AirAsia flight QZ8501 and their families," Prayut said.

IANS