AlHijjah 12, 1434, Oct 17, 2013, SPA -- The crash of a Lao Airlines plane into the Mekong River that killed 49 people was probably caused by Tropical Storm Nari, airline officials said Thursday. Lao Airlines Flight QV 301 from Laos' capital, Vientiane, to the southern city of Pakse crashed Wednesday after flying into turbulence, they said. As of Thursday, Lao and Thai rescue teams had yet to find the aircraft in the river because of murky water and strong currents, Lao TV reported. "We think the crash was caused by bad weather because the aircraft was very new," dpa quoted Lao Airlines chairman Somphon Duangbara as saying. The twin-engine turboprop ATR 72-600 had been delivered from the French-Italian aircraft maker in March, Somphon said. "We will compensate the relatives of the victims," he said. All 44 passengers and five crew members were presumed dead. Lao authorities on Thursday allowed a 65-member rescue team, including divers from neighbouring Thailand, to assist in the search for bodies. "So far, we have found 14 bodies, but we haven't identified them yet," Suttinan Boonmee, deputy governor of Ubon Ratchathani province in north-eastern Thailand, told Radio Thailand. Most of the remaining bodies were believed to be inside the aircraft, he said.
