A total of 39 bodies have been recovered from the Mekong River following a plane crash in Laos earlier last week, but the three South Korean victims have not yet been identified among the recovered bodies, officials said Sunday.
The Lao airplane crashed into the river amid bad weather Wednesday, killing all 49 passengers and crewmembers on board, including three South Korean businessmen.
Rescue workers have pulled 39 bodies from the water, including one on Sunday morning, according to officials from the South Korean Embassy in Laos and other sources.
Many of the bodies have not been identified due to decay and damages from the impact of the crash, requiring further forensic investigation, they said.
Authorities have failed to confirm whether the South Koreans were among the recovered bodies of the victims.
Forensic teams from South Korea, Thailand and Australia are working on taking samples and conducting autopsies at a makeshift morgue established near the accident site.
Officials said it could take up to 10 days to identify the bodies through DNA testing, depending on their condition.
Forensic officials in Seoul have already collected information on physical peculiarities of the three South Korean victims to help confirm their identities. Medical records for two of the three have also been secured, they said.
Meanwhile, Lao authorities are working on recovering the remaining bodies, while trying to find flight data and cockpit voice recorders to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Sunday 20 October 2013
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/131020/39-bodies-recovered-after-laos-plane-crash-korean-victims-no
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