UBON RATCHATHANI, Oct 18 – Lao and Thai officials today continued verifying identities of air crash victims as the search for more bodies in the Mekong River continued.
Thai officials said 17 bodies out of 49 passengers and crew on the Lao Airlines ATR-72 turboprop plane were recovered so far.
Thai National Police chief Adul Saengsingkaew will lead a Thai delegation to Pakse district in southern Laos to assist in the identity verifications and other necessary missions.
The Royal Thai Air Force has assigned officials to help salvage the severely-damaged aircraft at the request of the Lao PDR government.
Lao Public Works and Transport Minister Sommad Pholsena was assured by the Thai government of full cooperation and assistance including boats and divers to search for more victims and other technical cooperation.
The Lao Airlines airliner went down Wednesday while en route from the capital of Vientiane to the Pakse airport in the southern Lao province of Champasak.
