AirAsia flight QZ8501: Biology teacher from Hwa Chong Institution among passengers

Mr Andy Paul Chen, whose girlfriend Florentina Maria Widodo was on the missing plane. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Mr Andy Paul Chen, whose girlfriend Florentina Maria Widodo was on the missing plane. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Ms Florentina Maria Widodo from Indonesia was listed No. 135 on the passenger list issued by the airline on Sunday. -- PHOTO: FLORENTINA WIDODO/FACEBOOK

SINGAPORE - A 26-year-old biology teacher from Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) is on board the missing AirAsia QZ8501 flight.

Ms Florentina Maria Widodo, from Indonesia, is affectionately known to family and friends as Tina. She teaches A-level biology at the school. Her name is listed as No. 135 on the passenger list issued by the airline on Sunday.

Her Singaporean boyfriend, Mr Andy Paul Chen, was at the Changi Airport on Monday afternoon to travel to Surabaya, Indonesia.

"She is my girlfriend. I'm going there now to meet her family members," he told reporters in Mandarin.

He was accompanied by his parents and looked to be in shock.

Ms Widodo and Mr Chen were both from the National University of Singapore, and were members in the university's guitar ensemble.

Ms Widodo reportedly graduated from the National Institute of Education last year.

Mr Chen took to Facebook on Sunday to inform friends and family members that Ms Widodo was among the passengers on board the aircraft.

Ms Widodo's father, who is named as FY Widodo on Facebook, also posted a photo of himself and his daughter on Facebook.

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