Family And Friends Of Missing QZ8501 Passengers Grieve As The World Prays For Hope
As next-of-kin of passengers aboard the missing AirAsia Indonesia flight waits for news of their loved ones, the world takes to social media to share messages of hope and offer their prayers for the safe return of QZ8501.
By Samantha Khor — 29 Dec 2014, 10:39 AM — Updated almost 10 years ago
On the heels of two aviation tragedies involving Malaysian Airlines, AirAsia Indonesia's plane QZ8501 has been confirmed to be missing on 28 December 2014, with 162 people onboard
The AirAsia Indonesia flight - QZ8501 - was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members on board, with most of them being Indonesians.
Family members and friends of the passengers who are aboard the missing plane paint a picture of grief and anxiety as they anxiously await news of their loved ones
As search efforts enter its second day, next-of-kin are still hopeful for some good news despite the lack of updates from search parties
Rohana, the mother of Khairunisa, a flight attendant on missing Air Asia Flight QZ 8501, points toward her daughter in a family photograph in Palembang, South Sumatra, in Indonesia.
Image via Abdul Qodir, AFP/Getty Images
Jiang Hui, a relative of passengers on board Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that went missing on March 8, watches news of the missing AirAsia flight on TV.
Image via Andy Wong / APSome have been gathered in Changi Airport, Singapore and Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Indonesia since yesterday after news of the plane's disappearance broke
An unnamed Indonesian man, who cancelled his flight at the last minute - recalled his friend's chilling last words shortly before the flight, "See you in the new year and goodbye forever"
In a heartbreaking post on social media, the daughter of Captain Iriyanto, who has been named as the pilot of the missing QZ8501, pleaded for her father's safe return
“Papa, come home. I still need you. Bring back my father. Papa, come home, Pa. Papa has to be found. Papa must come home,” Angela Anggi Ranastianis, the 22-year-old daughter of Indonesian pilot Captain Irianto, posted on her Path account, reports Liputan6.
“When they heard the news about the AirAsia flight piloted by her father, (Angela) was hysterical," his niece Aulia Sari said in a blogpost.
Captain Iriyanto, who is married with two children, has been described as a "very caring man who has never failed to help those in need"
"He is always helping people because he is a very caring person. If there is a sick relative who needed help and even money, my uncle would be there," Captain Iriyanto's nephew, identified only as Doni, told Indonesian news portal Detik.com on Sunday. "If there are money problems in the family, he would surely help."
Neighbours of the plane's pilot, Captain Iriyanto, conducted a prayer session for his safety at his house at Pondok Jati housing complex in Sidoarjo, East Java, on Sunday evening.
"We hope Iriyanto and the other passengers are safe and that the plane will be found soon," said Mr Bagianto Joyonegoro, a neighborhood community representative.
For bride-to-be Louise Sitharta, the trip to Singapore was supposed to be a pre-wedding holiday with her fiancé and future in-laws. When she found out about the missing plane, she said, “My heart knew by then that my fiancé was on that flight.”
Louise Sitharta was supposed to be on holiday here with her fiance and her would-be in-laws. The couple had planned to be married in May. Instead, she arrived here from Surabaya hours after the AirAsia plane carrying her fiance Alain had gone missing.
“My fiance and his family were in that plane. They had planned to have a vacation and I was supposed to meet him here. It was supposed to be his last vacation with his family before we were to get married.”
She was on her way to Surabaya airport at noon when she heard the news about QZ8501 – Alain and his family had taken the early-morning flight to Singapore and she was to meet them here.
Louise said Alain, 27, was travelling with his father and mother and three brothers.
“I am thinking positively and hoping that the plane will be found soon,” she said.
Meanwhile, family members of Sii Chung Huei, who has been identified as the sole Malaysian onboard the QZ8501, are hoping for a miracle
Prayers are being said here for the sole Malaysian passenger on the AirAsia Indonesia aircraft that was lost on Sunday morning.
He is Sii Chung Huei, 56, who works as a supervisor in a timber company in Surabaya and travels frequently between Indonesia and Sarawak, the Borneo Post reported.
He left for Indonesia about a week ago and was said to be travelling home to Sarawak via Singapore.
He is the husband of a UiTM Sarawak lecturer, who when contacted, asked that her privacy be respected. He has three children, all of whom are abroad.
In a show of solidarity, people from all over the world have also flooded AirAsia's Facebook page with their goodwill and prayers for the missing plane
On Twitter, the hashtags #PrayForQZ8501 and #QZ8501 are still trending worldwide, carrying positive messages of hope from not just Malaysians and Indonesians, but from all over the world
Allahuakbar. Praying for all passengers on board AirAsia AWQ 8501. I have no words. I hope we find them InshaAllah #PrayForQZ8501
— Yuna Zarai (@yunamusic) December 28, 2014
Again guys, we've experienced this before... Stay strong and don't believe rumors.. Just keep -ing #PrayForQZ8501
— Ben @ Fly FM (@benjern) December 28, 2014
The kind of news you do NOT want to wake up to Please take a moment of your day to #PrayForQZ8501. Let them be safe pic.twitter.com/QAg22V0pKT
— Natalia 棠羚 (@nataliatangling) December 28, 2014
There are 148 passengers and 7 cabin crew on board. Sadly, the number include a baby. This is heart breaking. #PrayForQZ8501
— Lifeless (@pcdcnx) December 28, 2014
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also taken to social media to offer his support, while Malaysian Airlines and Singapore Airlines share their condolences on Twitter
I’ve spoken to President Widodo tonight to convey Australia’s sadness at the #AirAsia #QZ8501 tragedy and offered all we can to assist
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) December 28, 2014
#staystrong @AirAsia - Our thoughts and prayers are with all family and friends of those on board QZ8501.
— Malaysia Airlines (@MAS) December 28, 2014
Our thoughts are with those onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 and their loved ones.
— Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) December 28, 2014