Continuing the search operations for AirAsia flight QZ8501 for the third day, the teams around Java sea have alerted about the possibility of smoke rising from an island. The Indonesian officials have said that they are sending teams to investigate photos of the debris that could possibly be from the missing AirAsia flight.

Meanwhile, the US and China have joined the search operations. The US Navy battleship the USS Samson is heading to the Java sea to assist Indonesia and other countries engaged in search and rescue operations. The US Defense Department said assistance to Indonesia "could include some air, surface and sub-surface detection capabilities".

Around 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea would search around 10,000 square nautical miles on Tuesday, officials said. They said the sea there was only 50 to 100 (150 to 300 feet) metres deep, which would be a help in finding the plane, which was carrying mainly Indonesians.

Among the 162 passengers on board were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia and Britain. The co-pilot was French.

US law enforcement and security officials said passenger and crew lists were being closely examined but so far nothing significant had turned up and that the incident was still regarded as an unexplained accident.

The plane, which did not issue a distress signal, disappeared after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher because of heavy air traffic, officials said. Pilots and aviation experts said thunderstorms, and requests to gain altitude to avoid them, were not unusual in that area.