Surabaya , Indonesia ( CNN ) Indonesian searchers battling bad weather in their efforts to find more remains from AirAsia Flight QZ8501 have so far recovered seven bodies from the sea , officials said Wednesday . A day after the first bits of debris from the commercial jet were spotted afloat off the coast of Borneo , the search operation was hampered Wednesday by big waves , strong winds and heavy rain . Helicopters scanning for signs of wreckage and victims were halted in their search , while ships continued combing the waters . It was unclear how long aerial operations would be held up . Answers about why the aircraft , with 162 people on board , fell from the sky Sunday remained elusive . Among the seven bodies recovered so far -- not 10 , as earlier reports had indicated -- was that of a woman wearing a flight attendant 's uniform , said Bambang Soelistyo , Indonesia 's national search and rescue chief . `` Reality of seeing the evacuees and some of my aircraft parts are soul destroying , '' AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted . The air executive also put to rest rumors of a survivor found in a life jacket , saying that only the life jacket was found in the water . Sonar may have detected wreckage . There was conflicting information about whether any parts of the plane had been found underwater . One search official told CNN that he believes sonar equipment has detected wreckage from the plane at the bottom of the sea but could n't confirm it . `` I think that that 's the case , '' said Muhammad Hernanto , the head of search and rescue for Surabaya , the Indonesian city where Flight 8501 began its journey Sunday . But in a news conference Wednesday , Fernandes denied this , saying sonar imaging has yet to detect anything . `` Search and rescue teams are doing a fantastic job . They are narrowing the search and they are feeling more comfortable they are beginning to know where it is . But there is no confirmation of them . No sonar ... nothing '' Soelistyo was also cautious , denying reports that searchers had found the plane 's main fuselage . `` Until now , we have n't found the plane , '' he said , according to Indonesia 's national news agency Antara . Search teams are looking for other bodies and parts of the plane , including its so-called black boxes . Those could help investigators determine what went wrong on the flight , which lost contact with air traffic controllers after the pilot asked to change course and move to a higher altitude because of bad weather . How can a modern airliner vanish ? Bodies returned to flight 's departure city . The difficult weather conditions were making it harder to get all the bodies that have been recovered back to land . Two of the corpses arrived at a hospital in Surabaya on Wednesday afternoon after being airlifted from a city nearer the search site . The bodies were given a solemn welcome by roughly 100 military personnel . Preparations have been made in Surabaya to receive and identify the human remains in the coming hours and days . Dozens of ambulances were lined up . On the grounds of a police hospital stood several refrigerated shipping containers where bodies will be stored while awaiting examination . Nearby , tents were pitched with gurneys on hand . Debris and some bodies were found Tuesday 100 to 200 kilometers ( about 60 to 120 miles ) from the aircraft 's last known location over the Java Sea , Indonesia 's search and rescue agency said . The news came as a devastating blow for family members of passengers , who had been waiting anxiously for information about their loved ones for days . The suffering was made worse for some of them , when they saw live television pictures of a corpse in the water . Anguish revisited : Relatives of MH370 victims speak out about AirAsia QZ8501 . Families still want and expect regular and full updates from authorities , Suyone Thejakusuma , who said he had relatives and friends on the flight , told CNN on Wednesday . A new information center for families was being set up Wednesday next to a police station in Surabaya . International search effort . Several nations are contributing resources to the effort , including the United States , Singapore and Malaysia . The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Sampson is already supporting the search and recovery operations . The USS Fort Worth is also being prepared to deploy from Singapore , Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said . It `` can be ready to sail in a day or two to get on station and can be there very quickly , '' he said . The United States is also preparing maritime patrol aircraft that could help , he said . The flight , which was lost Sunday on its way to Singapore , was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members . The overwhelming majority were Indonesians . There were also citizens of Britain , France , Malaysia , Singapore and South Korea aboard . Flight 8501 was operated by AirAsia 's Indonesian affiliate . CNN 's Elizabeth Joseph reported from Surabaya , and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong . CNN 's David Molko , Andrew Stevens , Mitra Mobasherat , Gary Tuchman , Brian Walker , Catherine E. Shoichet , Josh Levs and Deborah E. Bloom contributed to this report . Translators Azieza Uhnavy and Edi Pangerapan also contributed to this report .
Seven bodies recovered ; 2 have arrived in the city where the plane began its journey . An official says sonar may have found wreckage ; search chief says plane not found yet . Strong wind , heavy rain and big waves hamper search operation . Comment: