Indonesian military halts recovery efforts for AirAsia plane

Updated

PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesia's military has halted its recovery efforts for the crashed AirAsia plane, including attempts to locate bodies and raise the fuselage from the Java Sea.

Workers from the National Search and Rescue Agency, however, are continuing their search for 92 bodies that are still missing. AirAsia Flight 8501 was carrying 162 people when it crashed Dec. 28 en route from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore.

Rear Adm. Widodo said the military made its decision Tuesday after four days of unsuccessful attempts to raise the fuselage. About 80 navy divers struggled with strong currents and poor visibility while trying to lift the wreckage.

Widodo, who heads the military's search and rescue task force, apologized to the families of the victims for being unable to retrieve all the bodies.

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