Bodies recovered in Mekong after Laos plane crash

                
Rescuers in fishing boats pulled bodies from the muddy Mekong River on Thursday as officials in Laos ruled out finding survivors from a plane that crashed in stormy weather, killing 49 people from 11 countries.           

Backpacks, an airplane propeller and passports were among the debris scattered on the riverbank where the Lao Airlines turboprop plane apparently hit hard before skidding into the water and sinking Wednesday.                

"So far eight bodies have been found. We don't yet know their nationalities," said Yakao Lopangkao, director-general of Lao's Department of Civil Aviation, who was at the crash site in Pakse, in southern Laos. "We haven't found the plane yet. It is underwater. We're trying to use divers to locate it."                 

He ruled out finding survivors. "There is no hope. The plane appears to have crashed very hard before entering the water."                 

Some bodies were found as far as 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the crash site, he said.                
"We have asked villagers and people who live along the river to look for bodies and alert authorities when they see anything," he said.                

Fleets of small fishing boats and inflatable rafts plied the muddy, vast waterway as part of the search with men in life vests peering into the water. After storms Wednesday, the search took place under sunny blue skies.                

Thailand, which borders Laos, was helping with the search. It sent 30 scuba divers to assist in the search for bodies, said Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee.                  

The state-run Lao Airlines released an updated list of the 44 passengers' nationalities on Thursday. It said the flight included 16 Lao nationals, seven French, six Australians, five Thais, three Koreans, two Vietnamese and one person each from Canada, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States.                

Cambodian authorities said one of the plane's pilots was a 56-year-old Cambodian with more than 30 years flying experience.              

Details of the crash remained murky. Lao Airlines said in a statement that the plane took off from the capital Vientiane and "ran into extreme bad weather conditions" as it prepared to land at Pakse Airport. The area is known for its remote Buddhist temples, nature treks and waterfalls that draw tourists.          


AP