Laos Plane Crash Kills 49; Everybody on Board Dead
A plane leaving from Laos has crashed into the Mekong River Wednesday, believed to be killing all 49 of its passengers on-board.
The Lao Airlines plane - an airline ran by the state - had crashed into the river due to bad weather. According to a report by ABC, Flight QV301 had 44 passengers and five crew members when it crashed. Recent reports said there were 39 on-board.
The Australian government warned that no survivors were to be expected by rescue workers.
"Upon preparing to land at Pakse Airport the aircraft ran into extreme bad weather conditions and was reportedly crashed into the Mekong River," the Ministry of Public Works and Transport said in a statement.
BBC reports that the plane hit the waters around 8 kilometers off Pakse airport. Thai media were reported to have showed images of the crash with the plane partly submerged into the Mekong River, its tail missing.
"The plane was about to land but appeared to be hit by a strong wind, causing its head to ascend and pushing it away from the airport area and out of reach of the air traffic control radar," a witness noted, reports International Business Times.
Accumulated reports have it that the 49 dead are from 11 different nationalities - 17 Lao nationals, seven from France, six from Australia, five from Thailand, three South Koreans, as well as from USA, Canada, Malaysia, China and other countries.
"We understand there were six Australians listed as boarding a Lao Airlines flight from Vientiane to Pakse that crashed approximately eight kilometers from Pakse, Laos, on Wednesday 16 October 2013," a ministry spokesman from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed, reports IB Times. "Australian consular officials are in contact with the families of those thought to be on the flight. Lao authorities have told our embassy in Vientiane they do not expect any survivors."
ABC reports that the plane was delivered just this March to Lao Airlines, and is confirgured to seat 68-74 people.
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