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AirAsia plane with 162 aboard missing after takeoff from Indonesia on the way to Singapore

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Relatives of the passengers of AirAsia flight QZ8501 comfort each other at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014. The AirAsia plane with 161 people on board lost contact with ground control on Sunday while flying over the Java Sea after taking off from a provincial city in Indonesia for Singapore, and search and rescue operations were underway. (AP Photo/Trisnadi) (The Associated Press)

Relatives of the passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 check the plane's manifest at a crisis center set up by local authority at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014. The AirAsia plane with over 160 people onboard, lost contact with ground control on Sunday while flying over the Java Sea after taking off from the provincial city in Indonesia for Singapore. (AP Photo/Trisnadi) (The Associated Press)

Relatives of the passengers of AirAsia flight QZ8501 wait for the latest news on the missing jetliner at a crisis center set up by local authority at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014. The AirAsia plane with over 160 people on board lost contact with ground control on Sunday while flying over the Java Sea after taking off from the provincial city in Indonesia for Singapore. (AP Photo/Trisnadi) (The Associated Press)

An AirAsia plane with 162 people aboard lost contact with ground control on Sunday after takeoff from Indonesia on the way to Singapore, and the airline said search and rescue operations were underway.

The plane lost communication with Indonesia's Surabaya airport 42 minutes after takeoff at 5:35 a.m., Hadi Mustofa, an official of the transportation ministry told Indonesia's MetroTV.

AirAsia said in a statement that the plane was an Airbus A320-200 and that search and rescue operations were in progress.

Mustofa said the plane had seven crew and 155 passengers.

He said the plane lost contact when it was believed to be over the Java Sea between Kalimantan and Java islands.