Search for wreckage of crashed plane in Chachoengsao concludes

After the small-plane crash in Bang Pakong, Chachoengsao province, on Thursday, Phisit Prasertsri, president of Khao Din Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, Bang Pakong district, said the search for the wreckage of the plane and the nine people who were on board ended on Friday at 3.30pm.

He said a large backhoe with a 14-metre boom was used to search in the mud under the wreckage until the boom arm was at its maximum and nothing more was found. 

"If the search is to continue, machinery with a longer boom arm will be required, and sheet piles will also need to be planted to prevent landslides, because after digging further down, the soil above will flow into the excavated pit, which could be dangerous as the backhoe might slide down and end up getting buried," Phisit said.

Meanwhile, forensic officers have taken all the collected body parts to perform identification tests to confirm the identities of the nine deceased. After that, relatives will be given the bodies to perform religious rites according to tradition. After that the search will be permanently halted.

Chonlatee Yangtrong, the governor of Chachoengsao, also has ordered the search for the missing persons to be stopped. 

"As for the company that owns the plane, if it wants to search further to find the remains of the plane to prove the cause of the crash, it can [do so]," Chonlatee said.

The next search, if it is carried out, will have to open up a large area or may have to move soil in order to be able to search the entire area. The searchers will have to coordinate with the owners of the 21 rai of land where the incident occurred to see if they agree.