Searchers Detect Wreckage From AirAsia ‪#‎QZ8501‬ At The Bottom Of The Java Sea

(CNN) - Indonesian searchers say sonar equipment has detected wreckage from AirAsia Flight QZ8501 at the bottom of the sea, a day after the first signs of debris were spotted. It's still unclear whether the aircraft is in one piece or broken up, said Hernato, a search and rescue official. The grim discovery of parts of the missing plane and several bodies on the surface of the sea dealt a heartbreaking blow to families whose loved ones were lost.

Debris was found 100-200 kilometers (60-120 miles) from the aircraft's last known location over the Java Sea, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said.

Seven bodies - four men and three women have been recovered from the water so far, Indonesian search and rescue chief Bambang Soelistyo said Wednesday. One of the females found was wearing a flight attendant's uniform, Soelistyo said.

Search teams are looking for other bodies and parts of the plane, including its so-called black boxes. Those could help investigators determine what went wrong on the flight, which lost contact with air traffic controllers on Sunday with 162 people aboard.

Sonar equipment has been searching the bottom of the sea, tens of meters below the water's surface, according to SB Supriyadi, the search agency's director of operations.

Dozens of ambulances were lined up in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, ready to carry any bodies recovered. The search isn't easy; heavy wind and rain, as well as big waves, are hampering efforts, officials said.