Indonesian aircraft with 189 aboard crashes into sea

A Lion Air Boeing 737 passenger plane, carrying 189 people to Pangkal Pinang, an Indonesian tin-mining region, plunged into the sea within minutes after it took off from the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

The accident involved a new Boeing 737 Max plane, which has been in operation since August, and the cause of crash remains unknown, writes the BBC. The search and rescue workers, who recovered remains of some of the passengers, said there were no signs of any survivors.

Reports have emerged that the pilot of the doomed plane had requested to return to the base before the flight lost contact with ground staff, notes Reuters. Indonesia boasts of a thriving aviation market blemished by an upsetting safety record.