Makassar, Indonesia – Relatives waiting for news about a missing jetliner broke down in tears Tuesday after learning that senior Indonesian officials erroneously reported the Boeing 737’s charred wreckage had been found and that a dozen people may have survived.
The Adam Air plane carrying 102 people sent out two distress signals in stormy weather Monday halfway through its two-hour journey from Indonesia’s main island of Java to Manado, on the northern tip of Sulawesi, one of the largest islands in the sprawling archipelago.
A rescue official said today that the plane had probably gone down in the sea.
“Oh, what is happening to us?” wailed Dorce Sundalangi, whose daughter was on the flight, after hearing the report that the wreckage was found was based on rumors from villagers that reached the highest levels of government. “They had given us hope of seeing our beloved relatives … but it was false hope.”
Three of those aboard were American citizens, the U.S. Embassy said. A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board team was to arrive Friday to offer assistance.
