Contact has been lost with a passenger plane flying between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sulawesi, aviation officials have said.

The Boeing 737-400 has 96 passengers and six crew on board.

The Adam Air plane reportedly left Surabaya in Java at 1300 local time (0600 GMT) on a two-hour flight to Manado in northern Sulawesi.

Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa said it had sent out a distress signal and rescue teams had been sent to find it.

It was believed to be near Mamuju, in southern Sulawesi, 750km (466 miles) south-west of its destination, but may have come down in the sea.

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