On board a small turboprop plane that crashed in the jungle of Chachoengsao Province was located nine people: two pilots and seven passengers. According to local media, there were four Thais and five Chinese. Among them were two children aged 12 and 13.
Thailand. Passenger plane crashes in jungle
The plane took off at 14:46 from Bangkok International Airport and headed for Trat. The passengers were then supposed to go to a luxury resort on the island of Koh Kood.
After about 10 minutes of flight, contact with the machine's pilots was lost. The plane crashed in the jungle at about 3:10 p.m., Chachoengsao Governor Chonlatee Yangtrong said.
– I was sitting in front of my house. A plane flew over it with a loud engine noise. Just a few seconds later it crashed right here, there was a loud crack – one of the residents reported in a recording made available by local authorities.
As the plane crashed near the Bang Pakong residential area, its parts damaged several houses there.
Rescue operation underway. “We believe all are dead”
After the news of the disaster, an emergency response was organized rescue operationwhich involved over 300 soldiers and volunteers.
The search expedition was hampered by heavy rainfall and difficult terrain conditionswhich the rescuers struggled with. The plane crashed in a mangrove forest where a river had recently flooded. The rescuers had to push through dense trees and wade through knee-deep mud.
– We are trying to find the missing people, but we believe that everyone is dead – Governor Chonlatee Yangstrong told reporters at the scene.
To find the plane wreckage, searchers had to pump out water and build embankments to prevent more water from flowing into the crash site.
Thailand Disaster Investigation Into Causes
The rescue operation was finally suspended at 2:00 a.m. By that time managed to find fragments of the plane and some of the victims scattered in the mud.
The search was resumed on Friday morning. It was also announced that an investigation had been launched to clarify the causes of the disaster.
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