No survivors in Indonesian plane crash

Rescuers have found the wreckage of a new Russian-made passenger plane that smashed into the side of a remote volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers. All 45 people on board were feared dead.

The bodies would be placed in nets and lifted to a helicopter, said a spokesman for the national search and rescue agency. Heavy mist was hampering visibility, however, forcing the postponement of evacuations until today.

"So far we haven't found any survivors, but we are still searching," the spokesman said.

The Sukhoi Superjet-100 – Russia's first new model of passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union two decades ago – was on a six-nation tour of Asia.

It was carrying dozens of representatives from local airlines and journalists on what was supposed to be a quick, 50-minute demonstration flight on Wednesday.

Just 21 minutes after take-off from Jakarta, however, the Russian pilot and co-pilot asked for permission to drop from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet. The plane then disappeared from the radar.