The Airbus 320-200 was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew when it disappeared while en route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore
The disappearance of AirAsia flight QZ8501 was predicted by a mysterious Weibo user just days before the jet went missing, it has been claimed.
The Airbus 320-200 was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew when it disappeared while en route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore on Saturday.
The Airbus A320-200, vanished after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather.
One Brit was among those on board - named as businessman Chi Man Choi. It is believed he was travelling with his two year-old daughter Zoe.
It has now been reported that a mysterious user of the Chinese social media network Weibo apparently predicted the disappearance on AirAsia Flight QZ8501 almost two weeks before it vanished.
The Epoch Times reports that the unidentified individual “repeatedly warned people away from Malaysia Airlines (and) AirAsia.”
“Do not become another victim of MH370,” the user warned in a post on December 15.
Follow live updates on the missing plane here:
They said AirAsia was being targeted by “powerful” forces referred to as the “black hand”.
“This is a life-saving message to Europe or the US tour, do not take AirAsia (or) Malaysia Airlines airliner,” one post said.
Posts on 16th and 17th of December, read: "This is a major event in human life, we have to pay attention,” adding, “far from AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines away, cherish life.”
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The was speculation on the Reddit forum that the posts may have been amended to include AirAsia - AFTER the disappearance of the passenger jet.
Meanwhile, AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes said his "heart bleeds" for the relatives of the crew and passengers on board missing Flight QZ8501.
The airline's chief executive wrote on Twitter: "Keeping positive and staying strong.
"My heart bleeds for all the relatives of my crew and our passangers.
"Nothing is more important to us."
He later added: "The staff have been brave, strong, committed and doing 150 percent for all our guests.
"My pride for them is enormous."
Keeping positive and staying strong. My heart bleeds for all the relatives of my crew and our passangers. Nothing is more important to us.
— Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) December 29, 2014 Mr Fernandes, the chairman of Premier League football club QPR, was speaking after the man leading the search for Flight QZ8501 said it was likely to be 'at the bottom of the sea'.
Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency chief, Bambang Soelistyo, said this morning: "Based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea.
"That's the preliminary suspicion and it can develop based on the evaluation of the result of our search."
The vice-president of Indonesia earlier said there was a "huge possibility" that missing Flight QZ8501 had been in an accident.
Jusuf Kalla said: "It has been 10 hours, there is a huge possibility there has been an accident.
"The government is concerned and expresses its deepest condolences to the families of victims."
The search for the vanished AirAsia plane recommenced at first light today after search and rescue operations were suspended on Sunday evening due to darkness.
The Airbus 320-200, which was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew, lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control at 11.17pm (GMT) on Saturday.
It was flying from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore.
Tatang Zainuddin, the deputy operations chief of Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, said: "We have resumed the search for the missing AirAsia plane at 6.00 am (11pm UK time).
"We hope we can find it soon."
The jetliner was last seen between the Indonesian island of Belitung, and Pontianak in Borneo.
There was bad weather over Belitung at the time.
