Authorities have found 26 more bodies on Sunday from the missing Myanmar military plane believed to have crashed, bringing the number of confirmed casualties to 59, Myanmar News Agency reported Monday.
Nine children were among the dead, together with 26 men and 23 women. One body was still unidentified. The report said three military officers and two soldiers were killed.
Better weather on Sunday allowed for search operations to continue at sea off the southern coast of Myanmar. Nine naval vessels, five aircraft, two air force helicopters, and local boats were mobilized.
Rescue workers leave a boat after a military plane crashed, outside Launglon township, Myanmar June 8, 2017. /VCG Photo
The recovered bodies were sent to a military hospital for forensic examination.
A total of 122 people were on board the missing plane, including 108 military personnel, their families, and 14 crew members. The plane was also carrying about 2.4 tons of cargo. The Myanmar Air Force plane lost contact with the ground less than half an hour after takeoff and went missing off the coast of the southern Tanintharyi region last Wednesday.
The cause of the tragedy is still under investigation but authorities have found evidence of a crash.
(Source: Xinhua)
