AirAsia Confirms Bodies, Wreckage From Flight 8501 Found At Sea

Authorities announced Tuesday that on the third day of search efforts, the remains of AirAsia flight 8501, including some bodies, were discovered floating in the water near Indonesia's Pangkalan Bun.

Wreckage from the commercial aircraft, which had been carrying 162 passengers and crew, was discovered floating in the water only 10 miles from the plane's last coordinates reported to air control.

Indonesia television channels showed footage of a suitcase, an emergency exit door and a life jacket floating in the clear waters.

Other alarming footage showed some corpses, including a man's, floating in the water. Authorities have reported that they discovered six corpses floating in one area, and attempts were underway to retrieve the bodies despite difficult weather conditions.

The AirAsia flight 8501 crashed Sunday morning after embarking on its two hour flight from Indonesia to Singapore. Pilots had requested an elevation spike of 35,000 feet after encountering harsh stormy weather over the Java Sea, and this communication was the last heard by air traffic control before the plane went missing.

"AirAsia Indonesia regrets to inform that The National Search and Rescue Agency Republic of Indonesia (BASARNAS) today confirmed that the debris found earlier today is indeed from QZ8501, the flight that had lost contact with air traffic control on the morning of 28th December 2014," the airline said in a statement Tuesday.

Media outlets reported a tragic scene in the Surabaya airport, where loved ones of those on the plane had gathered to await news of the plane's fate. There were reports of people crying and calling out when it was announced that debris from the plane had been discovered.