- Photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: Despite being hampered by deep mud, rescue workers are continuing to search the wreckage of the small passenger plane that crashed in a mangrove area behind Wat Khao Din in Chachoengsao’s Bang Pakong district Friday (Aug 23) afternoon.
The crash site showed scattered aircraft debris and personal belongings submerged in mud.
The nine individuals onboard, including the pilot and passengers, are missing, and rescue teams are working tirelessly to find them.
Search efforts continued through the night, with relevant agencies and rescue teams recovering scattered debris from the plane buried deep in the mud.
The search was briefly halted between 11pm and 12.15am due to high sea levels and the inability of heavy machinery to dig through the mud, which is about 10 metres deep.
A long-boom excavator is being brought in to search for the aircraft cabin, which is believed to be buried at that depth due to the force of the crash.
The aircraft departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport, heading to Trat Airport, with seven passengers and two pilots on board but lost contact with air traffic control 10 minutes after takeoff.
The five Chinese tourists and four Thai nationals, including the pilot and co-pilot, on board are not believed to have survived the crash.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee (AAIC) is on-site investigating the accident with rescue volunteers.
Approximately 300 people are involved in the search and recovery operations, which have found numerous human and aircraft parts at the crash site.
The conclusion of the search operation is still pending, with assessments made hourly.
The aircraft's impact with the mud was severe, occurring in a deep pit used for shrimp and fish farming.
The aircraft was a Cessna Caravan C208, flight TFT209, with registration HSSKR, owned by Thai Flying Service.
Nattapong Nundpradeth, a public relations officer for the Chachoengsao Rescue Unit, stated that most of the recovered pieces are body parts—limbs, hands, or torso fragments—severed by the explosion's force, making it difficult to identify individuals or genders.
The 69 pieces of human remains collected last night have been transferred to the Police Hospital for identification.
The debris collected has been transported to a local administrative office for safekeeping.
The Chachoengsao Public Relations Office clarified that the aircraft did not have a flight data recorder (black box) and only communicated directly with air traffic control via radio frequency.
The airline confirmed that the aircraft was insured, and the insurance company has agreed to cover all damages incurred. - The Nation/ANN
