DEBRIS FROM AIRASIA FLIGHT FOUND

Debris spotted on Tuesday during an aerial search for AirAsia flight QZ8501 is from the missing plane, Indonesia's director general of civil aviation told AFP.

"For the time being it can be confirmed that it's the AirAsia plane and the transport minister will depart soon to Pangkalan Bun," Djoko Murjatmodjo said.

Suspected body and plane debris was spotted off west coast of Kalimantan during an aerial search for the AirAsia flight QZ5801. A body in a life vest and some luggage was seen in the sea, according to an Indonesian air force official.

Items resembling an emergency slide, plane door and other objects were also spotted in the sea during the aerial search. Indonesian air force official Agus Dwi Putranto told reporters: "We spotted about 10 big objects and many more small white-coloured objects which we could not photograph."

"The position is 10 kilometres (six miles) from the location the plane was last captured by radar," he said. Putranto displayed 10 photos of objects resembling a plane door, emergency slide, and a square box-like object.

"It is not really clear... it could be the wall of the plane or the door of the plane," he said.