AFP reports: Divers have found the black box of crashed AirAsia jet, said the Indonesia transport ministry. 

Searchers had closed in on the all-important black box of the crashed AirAsia jet after strong "pings" were heard in the Java Sea and a large object likely to be the plane's fuselage was located near the spot from where the tail section was retrieved.

S B Supriyadi, operations coordinator for Indonesia's search and rescue agency, and other officials involved in the search said they were confident the "pings" were from the black box, describing the signals as strong.

The "pings" were detected about a kilometre east of the tail, Supriyadi told reporters. He said an object believed to be the main body of the Airbus A320-200 had also been detected close to the area from where the pings were emanating. "We are now trying to check by sending our divers," he said.

Indonesia AirAsia plane carrying 162 people on board lost contact with ground control on December 28, less than half way into a two-hour flight from Indonesia to Singapore and crashed possibly due to bad weather. Only 48 bodies, including at least two strapped to their seats, have been found in the Java Sea.