The past two days have brought really crappy news from across the globe. Today is no different. An Air France flight carrying 228 people from Brazil to France has apparently vanished over the Atlantic, believed to have crashed due to turbulence.

The Airbus sent an automatic message at 0214 GMT, four hours after leaving Rio de Janeiro, reporting a short circuit. It may have suffered lightning damage.

It was well over the ocean when it was lost, making Brazilian and French search planes’ task more difficult.

Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris has set up a crisis centre.

“We are without a doubt faced with an air disaster,” Air France chief executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told reporters.

“The entire company is thinking of the families and shares their pain.”

The passenger manifest shows that the 228 people on board includes 12 crew members, one infant, seven children, 82 women, and 126 men. The passengers include 60 Brazilians, 40-60 French people, at least 20 Germans, 3 Irish, 6 Danes, 3 Moroccans, and two Libyans. There are concerns that British citizens were also aboard the flight. Air France reports, though no governments confirm, that American and Chinese citizens were on board, too.

The Brazillian and French Air Forces have dispatched resources in an attempt to locate the aircraft in a search area officials are saying is larger than Europe. According to AFP, authorities have now requested the assistance of the U.S. military in searching for the Airbus.