VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

 A Lion Air passenger airplane with 188 people on board and flying from Jakarta to Pangkalpinang in Bangka Belitung Province, lost contact on Monday.

The airplane flight JT 610 was departed from Jakarta at 06:20 a.m local time and was scheduled to arrive in Pangkalpinang at 07:05 a.m local time, according to the Depati Amir airport authority in Pangkalpinang.

However, the airplane lost contact at 06:33 a.m.

Head of the Pangkalpinang rescue team Danang Pandu confirmed the report when contacted by Antara.

"The location is already known," he said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Directorate General of Air Transportation of the Transportation Ministry Sindu Rahayu said in Jakarta, the aircraft with registration number PK-LOP was last detected by radar at a coordinate of 05 46.15 S - 107 07.16 E.

Before it lost contact, the airplane has asked to return to base.

The airplane carried 178 adult passengers, three infants, and seven crews including two pilots.

The ministry has worked on coordination with the National Search and Rescue Agency, Lion Air, the Directorate General of Sea Transportation to locate the ill-fated plane. (ANTARA)