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A Lion Air flight capable of carrying up to 189 passengers has crashed during a short flight from the Indonesian capital Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency.
A spokesman for the low-cost carrier confirmed that it had lost contact with Lion Air flight JT 610 Monday morning, local time.
The plane had been due to land around 7:30 am local time in Pangkal Pinan, the largest city on the Indonesian island of Bangka.
The plane lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff, according to the official. The jet was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, according to air tracking service Flightradar 24.
According to media reports the captain of the ill- fated airline was an Indian Captain Bhavye Suneja, who belongs to Delhi, was reportedly the captain of the Indonesian Lion Air plane which crashed into the Java Sea with 188 passengers and crew member on board .
According to media reports, Suneja was a resident of Mayur Vihar and studied at the Ahlcon Public School in the locality. He joined the low-cost carrier Lion Air in March 2011, Times of India reported.
The report quoted a senior official of an Indian airline as saying that Suneja was considering returning to India.
