Missing Air Asia flight QZ8501: What we know about the passengers
Since the news broke that AirAsia flight QZ8501 had gone missing en route to Singapore from Surabaya, family members of passengers on the plane have been streaming into the Relatives' Holding Area (RHA) at Changi Airport Terminal 2.
As at 6.30pm today (Dec 28), 47 relatives and friends of 57 passengers on board had registered at the holding area.
162 people were on board the missing flight including seven crew members.
The passengers comprise one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one British, three South Koreans and 149 Indonesians. The crew consists of six Indonesians and a French co-pilot.
There was a two-year-old Singaporean girl on the flight along with her British dad.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) confirmed in a statement that "contact has been made with the girl's mother and grandparents, who were at the RHA, and provided them all necessary support."
Fiancee of Indonesian passenger on QZ8501 took later flight
Miss Louise Sidharta (below) came to Singapore to enjoy their last vacation with her fiance before they get married in May next year.
The 25-year-old had taken a later flight to Singapore and was supposed to meet up with her fiance and his three brothers in Singapore.
She was on her way to the airport in Surabaya when she heard the news over the radio.
Miss Sidharta said calmly: "My heart knew by then that my fiance was on that flight."
Appearing composed, she added: "We just have to stay positive, and not have any negative thoughts."
23 no-shows on the missing flight
There were 23 people who did not turn up for the flight, according to the flight manifest.
One family of five had to cancel their trip from Surabaya to Singapore. Christopher Incha Prasetya, 10, cried when he found out he was not going to Singapore. The reason? His grandfather had fallen ill just a day before the flight.
“The kids were still on holidays and Christopher was very upset when we said that we couldn’t go after all,” his mother, Inge Goreti Ferdiningsih, 37, said by phone from Surabaya. “When we told him the plane was missing, he didn’t believe us until we showed him the tickets.”
Source: Malay Mail Online
Related reports:
LIVE UPDATES: AirAsia flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore missing
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