Body parts found after plane crashes into sea

Indonesian rescuers have recovered body parts in the sea where a police plane with 13 people aboard is believed to have crashed.

The light aircraft lost contact on Saturday on the way to the island of Batam, which is near Singapore, after taking off from an island off the south-east coast of Sumatra.

The M28 Skytruck plane is believed to have plunged into 79ft (24m) deep waters, said National Search and Rescue Agency chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo.

He told a news conference that remains, probably of the victims, were found in the area where villagers earlier retrieved a seat and a bag containing a mobile phone and police documents. He added that an oil spill was also found in the area.

In Batam, local police chief Brig Gen Sambudi Gusdian quoted witnesses as saying they saw the plane explode after it crashed into the sea off Lingga district.

Search teams involving Indonesia's navy, customs office and maritime police, as well as aircraft from Singapore, were scouring a 200 sq mile (518 sq km) sea area for the wreckage of the aircraft, Mr Soelistyo said. Divers were also deployed.

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