Dozens die as Lao Airlines crashes before landing in Pakse

See the locations on Ban Phaling Google Map



22.10.2013
Lao Airlines and its insurance company have paid 20 million kip and US$5,000 respectively to the family of each of the victims of last week's plane crash, as The Cambodia Herald reports. This payment is intended to cover funeral expenses and further compensation is expected in the future, according to the Director General of Lao Airlines' Planning and Cooperation Department, Mr Sitthideth Duangsitthi. So far 43 bodies - out of 49 victims - have been recovered and 17 identified. The flight recorder of the plane that plunged into the Mekong River near Pakse, has been located and retrieved, as The Nation writes.

17.10.2013:
There is no hope that somebody could have survived the crash of flight QV301 by Lao Airlines from Vientiane to Pakse on Wednesday. The airplane went down into the Mekong near Ban Phaling village in Phonthong district, Champassak province. Rescuers in fishing boats pulled bodies from the Mekong River on Thursday. Divers from Thailand were helping. According to Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee the bodies of 15 victims have been recovered, reported Associated Press. Lao Airlines released a second updated list of the 44 passengers' nationalities: On board were 16 Lao nationals, seven French, six Australians, five Thais, three Koreans, three Vietnamese and one person each from China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States. The bodies are kept at Vat Chin in Pakse district, as The Nation reports. Victims families and relatives find contact informations on Facebook-Page of Lao Airlines.


16.10.2013:

Very sad news from Laos: Dozens of people were killed in southern Laos when a plane of Lao Airlines crashed into the Mekong River on October 16, as BBC reports. Flight QV301 from the Laotian capital Vientiane (leaving 14.45) came down about 8km (5 miles) from Pakse airport. A Lao Airlines statement on Facebook gave a total of 49 dead. According to BBC among the dead are seven people vom France, five Thai nationals and three South Koreans and as well as citizens from Laos, Australia, Canada, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, the USA and Vietnam.

The plane that crashed has been identified by the news as ATR 72-600, which is a French-Italian manufactured twin-engine turboprop plane. French media say that the plane was brand new, delivered in March 2013. It crashed during stormy weather into Mekong River, near Don Khong according to Bangkok Post. This newspaper publishes the names of the victims.

Pakse page on Facebook shows pictures of parts of the crashed plane. Facebook Page "We Love Laos" shows the plane in Mekong River.