Bodies Found at Site of Russian Jet Wreck

The wreckage of a Russian passenger jet that vanished over Indonesia during a demonstration flight yesterday has been located on the side of a volcano south of Jakarta, and rescuers have spotted bodies. Helicopter crews spotted wreckage on a cliff on the side of Mount Salak at an elevation of 5,000 feet. Due to heavy mist and the remoteness of the crash site, the retrieval won't begin until tomorrow, at which time the bodies will be placed in nets and hoisted into a hovering chopper. Soldiers, police, and volunteers continue to traverse the rugged terrain in hopes of locating survivors. Potential buyers and journalists made up the majority of the 45 on board the flight, reports the AP.

The jet, on its second flight of the day, dropped off the radar just 21 minutes after taking off yesterday. Villagers near the mountain reported seeing the plane. "It was veering a bit to one side, the engine roaring," one villager said. "It seemed to be heading toward Salak, but I didn't hear an explosion or anything." The Sukhoi Superjet-100—Russia's first new passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union—was on the fourth stop of an Asian roadshow after having visited Burma, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. (More plane crash stories.)