AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501 crash makes front page of newspapers

The newspapers also published bold headlines for the news accompanied by colourful photographs.

The Jawa Post said: "Prepare 161 ambulances, 30 boxes, 3 RS (hospitals) while Radar Surabaya said: "Three Bodies Holding Hands Found Floating at Sea."

Memo Merandum Surabaya wrote "AirAsia Indonesia QZ8601 found broken" while Harian Pagi Surya said: "Three Bodies Were Holding Hands" on the front page.

In addition to the news and photographs, the newspapers also carried the chronology of events and infographics related to the tragedy.

A newspaper vendor who declined to be named told Bernama that most of the newspapers were snapped early in the morning leaving only several copies.

The Indonesian authorities confirmed the discovery of several fragments of the aircraft and several bodies in the Java Sea on Tuesday evening.

Six bodies are still being retrieved by the Search and Rescue (SAR) team in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, about an hour's flight from Surabaya.

Bad weather and waves up to three meters have hampered the operation to recover the remaining bodies of the passengers and crew of the Airbus A320-200.

The aircraft with 162 passengers and crew which left Surabaya at 5.20am on Sunday was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 8.30am on the same day. The last time the aircraft contacted the air traffic control tower was at 6.12 am Indonesian time (7.12 am Malaysian time).

The passengers comprised of 149 Indonesians, three South Koreans, one Singaporean, one Malaysian and one Briton.