Thirty causalities have been recovered since the Lao Airlines flight QV301 crashed into the Mekong river Wednesday, a senior civil aviation official said Friday.
According to Officials of Lao Civil Aviation Yakao Lopangkao, the “black box” flight data recorder is yet to be recovered, Xinhua reported.
An additional contingent of at least 40 Thai soldiers, including a 10-member navy diving team, has arrived to assistance in the recovery effort on incident place, a Thai army officer said.
The diving team is equipt with site scan sonar, echo sonar and metal detection equipment, he said.
The hazardously strong current below the Mekong river surface was haltering searching efforts. The river is about seven to eight meters deep, a volunteer diver said.
A sombre mood lingers at Chond De temple, where bodies of the crash victims are awaiting to be named.
