JUST IN: 188 passengers, crew on board missing Indonesia jet: official

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(FILES) This file photo taken on March 18, 2013 shows a Lion Air plane flying over Sukarno-Hatta airport in Tangerang, outside Jakarta. – An Indonesian Lion Air passenger plane went missing on October 29, 2018 shortly after taking off from the capital Jakarta, an aviation authority official said, adding that a search and rescue operation is under way. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)

JAKARTA, Indonesia(AFP) —  The Indonesian Lion Air passenger jet feared to have crashed on Monday was carrying 188 passengers and crew when it went missing shortly after take-off, a transport ministry official said.

“The aircraft was carrying 178 adult passengers, one child and two babies, with two pilots and five flight attendants,” said Sindu Rahayu, directorate general of Civil Aviation at the transport ministry.

“The plane had requested to return to base before finally disappearing from the radar,” he added in a statement.

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