QZ8501 Indonesian rescue crews today failed in their second attempt to raise the fuselage of a crashed AirAsia plane from the floor of the Java Sea because straps broke, local media reported.

The steel belts had tied the fuselage of the Airbus A320 to inflated lifting bags, navy spokesperson Manahan Simorangkir said.

National broadcaster TV One reported that strong currents caused the straps to detach, sending the fuselage - which had briefly emerged at the surface - to sink again.

An initial attempt yesterday to raise the fuselage also failed because of strong currents.

AirAsia flight QZ8501 departed on Dec 28 from Surabaya, Indonesia, with 162 people on board and crashed halfway to its destination of Singapore. No survivors have been found.

Today, navy divers recovered a female passenger's remains during the attempt to lift the fuselage from the 30m-deep seabed. The latest discovery brought the confirmed death toll to 70.

Indonesian transportation safety investigators are trying to determine the cause of the crash after the discoveries of the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders. They are expected to make an announcement of their findings on Wednesday.

- dpa