File picture shows relatives of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 praying together in a waiting area at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya December 29, 2014. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — Bomohs or witch doctors have offered their assistance in the hunt for missing Flight QZ8501, claiming that they have managed to track down the Indonesia AirAsia plane’s location in the “supernatural” waters of Belitung.

Mukhti Maarif, the leader of shamans in Indonesia’s Belitung, said the bomohs are merely waiting for the official invitation to start their “supernatural” search, confirming that no one has sought their assistance.

“Have to wait for official request to prevent biased opinions about dukun (shamans),” Mukhti was quoted telling Indonesian news site Tempo today.

“Until this moment, we have yet to be involved. We are ready to help,” the bomoh said.

A member of an Indonesian Hercules C130 aircrew watches through a window while monitoring the Belitung Timur sea during search operations for AirAsia flight QZ8501 near Belitung island, December 29, 2014 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. ― Reuters pic Family members of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 stand near Indonesia's map in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Pilot of Navy airplane CN235 M. Naim holds a map to co-pilot Rahmad while flying over the Java sea during joint search operations of AirAsia flight QZ8501 December 29, 2014 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. ― Reuters pic Navy soldiers work on a map of Indonesia monitoring all Navy ships from Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia involved in the joint search and rescue operation for AirAsia flight QZ8501 at a navy base on Batam island, December 29, 2014 in this photo supplied by Antara Foto. ― Reuters pic Relatives of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 cry in a waiting area at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) personnel survey the waters, onboard a C-130 Hercules, during a Search and Locate operation for the missing AirAsia QZ8501 aircraft over an undisclosed search area December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic A member of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) looks out into the waters, onboard a C-130 Hercules, during a Search and Locate operation for the missing AirAsia QZ8501 aircraft over an undisclosed search area December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Relatives point at the name of their family member on a list of passengers onboard AirAsia flight Qz8501c at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Indonesia's vice-president Jusuf Kalla shakes hands with family members of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 at a waiting area in Surabaya's Juanda International Airport December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic A boy stands near a list of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 as he looks for his aunt's name at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Relatives of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 pray together in a waiting area at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes (centre) talks with his staff at Surabaya's Juanda International Airport December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Relatives of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 cry as they pray together in a waiting area at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes (right) talks to the family members of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 at Surabaya's Juanda International Airport December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Relatives of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 cry as they pray together in a waiting area at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic An Indonesian man, whose wife is a passenger onboard the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, makes a phone call at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Military and rescue authorities monitor progress in the search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 in the Mission Control Center inside the National Search and Rescue Agency in Jakarta December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic A family member of a passenger on board the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 react as waiting news at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Family members of passengers on board missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 cry at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic A family member of a passenger on board the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 react as waiting news at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic A relative shows a picture of alleged passengers who were travelling on missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 on her mobile phone screen at the airport in Surabaya, East Java. ― AFP pic Staff members unload AirAsia's QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore, which took the same code as the missing plane that took off 24 hours earlier, at Changi Airport in Singapore December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Indonesia's vice-president Jusuf Kalla (left) monitors progress in the search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 during a visit to the National Search and Rescue Agency in Jakarta in this picture supplied by Antara Foto, December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic AirAsia's QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore, taking the same code as the missing plane which took off 24 hours earlier, taxis at Changi Airport in Singapore December 29, 2014. ― Reuters pic Previous Next

Mukhti claimed that a supernatural scouting by a number of bomohs has revealed the final resting place of the plane that went missing yesterday lies in the east Belitung area, but said specific rituals have to be performed to verify their discovery.

“The aircraft fell because there was mechanical failure. At this moment, the aircraft is in the ocean near the corals, in the eastern waters of Pulau Nangka,” Mukhti was quoted saying by Tempo, reiterating that they were willing to work together with those equipped with advanced technology.

“The district of Belitung, whether it is on land, in the sea or air, is filled with supernatural matters,” the bomoh added.

In a separate report by Tempo, however, the Indonesian agency tasked with heading search operations turned down the offer.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) communications director Sutono had received the offer for help, but said that that was not the standard method used by the search team.

This is not the first time that bomohs have jumped in to help locate a missing aircraft.

Shortly after Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370 mysteriously disappeared on March 8 this year, a local bomoh, Ibrahim Mat Zin led three other witch doctors to perform rituals using coconuts, among other things, to find the plane.

Claiming to be “raja bomoh” or the king of witch doctors, Ibrahim had also said the jet carrying 239 people had purportedly travelled into the “alam bunian”, a Malay description for a spiritual realm inherited by supernatural beings.

The event drew immediate ridicule from observers as well as Internet users who took to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to deride the witch doctors searching for MH370, with some posting spoof pictures of them sitting on a supposed flying carpet that had gone viral.

To date, no traces of MH370 have been found, with search efforts still continuing in the southern Indian Ocean.

Search teams looking out for Flight QZ8501 have also yet to find the Airbus A320 plane, which was carrying 162 people on a Surabaya-Singapore flight.