The missing AirA?sia Indonesia flight QZ8501 is likely to be at the bottom of the sea, the head of Indonesia?s search-and-rescue agency has said.
Bambang Soelistyo said the hypothesis was based on the co-ordinates of the plane when contact with it was lost.
The search for the air?craft is continuing a day after it disappeared with 162 people on board, but no trace has yet been found.
The Airbus A320-200 dis?appeared early on Sunday on a flight to Singapore.
Distraught relatives have been waiting for news at the Surabaya interna?tional airport in Indonesia.
The pilots had requested a course change because of bad weather but did not send any distress call be?fore the plane disappeared from radar screens.
?Based on the co-ordi?nates given to us and evalu?ation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea,? Soelistyo, the head of Indo?nesia?s search and rescue agency, told a news confer?ence in Jakarta.
Officials say they suspect that the plane is likely to be at the bottom of the sea, says Alice Budisatrijo Me?dia reports say the families are united in their prayers, hoping against hope for a miracle.
Many newspapers have published personal stories. One that has moved many people is about the Face?book post from the daugh?ter of one of the pilots. It simply reads: ?Papa come home.?
Some are also calling 2014 a ?year of tragedies? for the aviation industry, linking it with the flight MH370 that disappeared in March and hasn?t been found yet.Beyond the emo?tional coverage, commen?tators have been asking questions about aviation safety in the region.
South-East Asia has a fast-developing aviation sector with many carriers fighting for space, observ?ers say. Most welcome the competition, but say safety norms have to be strength?ened.
The search for the plane, near Belitung island, was largely suspended as night fell on Sunday.
Although some ships continued the hunt over?night, the main search planes and vessels, from several nations, only re?sumed on Monday.
Soelistyo said Indonesia was providing 12 ships, three helicopters and five military aircraft.
Malaysia was to deploy a C-130 plane, along with three ships, with Singa?pore lending a C-130 and Australia also providing help
