An Indonesia passenger plane with more 62 people on board has gone missing shortly after take-off from capital Jakarta.

The Sriwijaya Air’s domestic flight was en route to Pontianak in West Kalimantan province, officials said.

The Boeing 737-500 took off from Jakarta at about 1:56pm and lost contact with the control tower at 2:40pm, said Transportation Ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati.

There were 56 passengers and six crew members onboard. Search and rescue efforts have begun, Irawati added.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com said the plane had lost more than 3,000 meters in altitude in less than a minute.

According to registration details, the plane is a 27-year-old Boeing 737-500. It is not a 737 Max, the Boeing model grounded after two major crashes in recent years.

The first of those accidents, in October 2018, involved an Indonesian Lion Air flight which plunged into the sea about 12 minutes after take-off from Jakarta killing 189 people.

The story was filed by the News Desk. The Desk can be reached at info@thecorrespondent.com.pk.

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