Bangkok, Aug 23: All nine people aboard a small plane are feared dead after rescuers found no survivors at the crash site in Chachoengsao, Thailand, local media reported on Friday.
The Thai Flying Service Cessna Caravan C208 (HS-SKR) crashed on Thursday, shortly after taking off from Suvarnabhumi Airport, reports Bangkok Post.
The aircraft, which had nine people onboard, lost contact with the Suvarnabhumi control tower around 3:00 P.M. local time. The crash occurred at 3:18 P.M. near Wat Khao Din in the Bang Pakong district of Chachoengsao.
Following an 11-hour search operation, the plane’s wreckage was discovered in a mangrove forest submerged in mud. Rescuers employed pumps to drain water and excavated mud approximately 10 meters deep and eight meters wide to reach the wreckage. Several human body parts were also recovered during the search.
Chachoengsao Governor Chonlatee Yangtrong confirmed early on Friday that all nine individuals on board are believed to have perished in the crash. “All aboard the plane are presumed dead,” Governor Chonlatee Yangtrong said, adding that the authorities were investigating the cause of the crash.
Earlier, talking to the media on Thursday, he said that the authorities found many human remains, and the muddy terrain complicated the task of the rescuers. The Governor also added that the charter plane tumbled vertically, so the authorities had to dig 10 meters into the ground.
The victims include five Chinese passengers, Zhang Jingjing, 12; Zhang Jing, 43; Tang Yu, 42; Yin Jinfeng, 45; and Yin Hang, 13. The Thai crew members were identified as flight attendants Napak Jirasiri, 35, and Siriyupa Arunatid, 26. The pilot was Flt Lt Anucha Dechapirakchon, 61, and the co-pilot was Pornsak Totab, 30. The investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. Further details are awaited.
IANS
