Nine people aboard a charter flight that crashed the previous day are presumed dead as Thai rescuers used hoes on Friday to search a muddy, forested area for debris and remains. Authorities are leading the search operation.
The Cessna Caravan C208B aircraft, carrying five Chinese tourists and four Thais, including the two pilots, went down about 100 km (62 miles) southeast of Bangkok, just 11 minutes after losing contact with ground control following take-off.
Chonlatee Yongtrong, the governor of Chachoengsao province, where the crash occurred, confirmed that all those on board the charter plane are presumed to have died, as investigators work to determine the cause of the accident.”
We found numerous human remains,” the governor informed reporters late Thursday, noting that the muddy conditions made the search efforts challenging.”
The plane plunged vertically, so we need to dig down 10 meters (33 feet) into the ground,” he added.
Images from the crash site show fragments of the aircraft scattered across a boggy, forested area. Rescue teams are seen digging with hoes and using a pump to drain water from certain spots, while police forensic units work to recover and identify the remains.
The aircraft was on flight TFT209, headed for Trat province in the east, after departing from Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon.
According to the aviation regulator, the plane was registered to Thai Flying Service Co Ltd. It lost contact with ground control in Bangkok 11 minutes after take-off, as reported by provincial officials.
NANCY MBAMALU
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