As per media reports, AirAsia Flight 8501 has hit the bottom of the sea. Frantic search is under way for the missing aircraft with 162 passengers onboard.

This incident sadly caps an astonishingly tragic year for air travel in Southeast Asia. This tragedy comes on the heels of the still unexplained disappearance of MH370 in March and the downing of MH17 in July over Ukraine.

With this third accident in a row, a total of 699 air travelers have lost their lives. Our hearts go out for the relatives of those people.

“Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich and a tragedy for the poor,” said Ukrainian-born author Sholom Aleichem.