8 bodies pulled from river at site of Lao Airlines crash

At least eight bodies aboard a crashed Lao Airlines plane have been pulled from the Mekong River, Laotian aviation officials said Thursday. All 49 passengers and crew members died Wednesday when the aircraft crashed into the river as it approached the airport in Pakse in southern Laos in stormy weather, the Bangkok Post reported. "There is no hope" of finding survivors, said Yakao Lopangkao, director-general of Laos' Department of Civil Aviation. "The plane appears to have crashed very hard before entering the water." He said some bodies were found as far as 12 miles downstream from the crash site. Personal items such as backpacks and passports, as well as an airplane propeller, have been found at the place in the river where the plane went down, Lopangkao said, adding that divers were still trying to locate the plane. Thailand is assisting in the search and has agreed to accept remains of the victims for forensic examination, officials said. One of the plane's pilots was a 56-year-old Cambodian with more than 30 years of flying experience, Cambodian authorities said. Airline officials said they had not determined the cause of the crash. The twin-turbo prop aircraft was delivered to the airline from the factory in March, they said.