BANGKOK, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Search and rescue team at the site of a small plane crash in Chachoengsao province in central Thailand, still could not find any survivors after more than 12-hour search operation.
Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the team only found “fragments of the passengers and the pilot”, but they are still unable to identify them.
"The cause of the crash needs to be thoroughly investigated by experts. We have already requested the cooperation of the manufacturer and relevant parties to proceed," he said after visiting the crash site, here, on Friday.
It was reported by the local media that the Thai Flying Service Cessna Caravan C208 (HS-SKR) with nine people onboard left Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan at 2.46pm, bound for Ko Mai Chee airport in Trat.
The plane was reported to have crashed in Bang Pakong district, in the western part of Chachoengsao, on Thursday around 3.18pm local time.
However, Anutin, who is also the Minister of Interior, said everyone has tried their best to find survivors, “but it must be understood that everything is scattered”.
“Our primary goal is to determine why the plane crashed in this manner. Normally, planes should glide, but in this case, it nosedived, almost like a free fall. We are waiting for clear data to understand what happened before, during, and after takeoff," he said.
-- BERNAMA