Authorities have confirmed that all nine people aboard a charter jet that crashed in Thailand the previous day are presumed dead.
The search efforts, hindered by the challenging terrain, continued on Friday with rescuers using hoes to comb through the muddy, forested area in hopes of locating any remains.
The incident occurred about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of Bangkok. The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan C208B, was carrying five Chinese tourists and four Thai nationals, including the two pilots. The plane went down just 11 minutes after taking off when it lost communication with ground control.
Chonlatee Yongtrong, the governor of Chachoengsao province where the crash happened, reported late Thursday that numerous human remains had been found, although the swampy and forested conditions made the recovery process extremely difficult.
“The plane dropped vertically, so we have to dig 10 meters (33 feet) into the ground,” Yongtrong said.
Images from the crash site depict a densely forested, marshy area scattered with airplane debris. Rescue teams are working diligently, employing hoes to excavate the wreckage and using pumps to remove water from certain areas.
Meanwhile, forensic experts are focused on recovering and reconstructing the bodies.
The ill-fated flight, designated as TFT209, had departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon, en route to Trat province in eastern Thailand.
According to the aviation regulator, the aircraft was registered to Thai Flying Service Co. Ltd. Shortly after takeoff, it lost contact with Bangkok’s ground control, leading to the tragic crash.
