As the search resumes for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 today, Singapore has contributed two military ships and two turboprop military transport aircrafts to the rescue efforts as the second day of the search and locate operations kick off today.
Channel NewsAsia reports that Second Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing was present at Changi Naval Base this morning to send off the RSS Supreme — a Formidable-class frigate — and the RSS Valour — a Missile corvette. According to Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, both ships will take a day to reach the search and locate area. They set sail from Singapore around 1am.
Before 7am this morning, the Republic of Singapore Air Force deployed their second Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, making it a total of five planes involved in the search for flight QZ8501. The first C-130 plane left at 4.32pm yesterday, carrying out the search for two hours before leaving at 8.30pm after the expedition was called off for the night.
Meanwhile, AirAsia flight QZ8501 — which departed from Surabaya earlier this morning — has landed safely at Changi Airport’s Terminal 1.
UPDATE: Defence Minister Ng Eng Han has announced that Singapore will be sending an additional C-130 aircraft in the afternoon and a Landing Ship, Tank (LST) this evening to aid in the search and rescue operations.
UPDATE 2: Two teams of specialists and two sets of underwater locator beacon detectors from the Singapore Ministry of Transport’s Air Accident Investigation bureau will also be dispatched to assist in locating flight data recorders of the missing aircraft.
Photo: Chan Chun Sing Facebook page; Republic Of Singapore Navy Facebook page
Reader Interactions