Taipei air disaster: Commuter plane with 58 aboard crashes into river, at least nine dead
- 9 years ago
At least nine people are reported dead.
Early this morning, a commuter flight flying from Taipei to Kinmen island crashed into the Nanhu Bridge in Taipei’s east, before plunging into the Keelung River. The flight had taken off from Taipei Songshan Airport just 5 minutes before the crash. At least 9 people have died, our sister paper the Apple Daily reports.
The pilot transmitted a Mayday call, reporting engine failure, but there was no further response when the control tower radioed back.
Ten passengers were able to make it out of the plane and swim to the riverbank, where they awaited emergency services.
Rescue crews arrived approximately 40 minutes after the plane crashed and are checking on the other survivors trapped inside the plane. They are also waiting on the arrival of cranes and heavy equipment to help move the plane’s partially submerged fuselage to more secure area before emergency crew will be able to gain access to the surviving passengers.
Early this morning, a commuter flight flying from Taipei to Kinmen island crashed into the Nanhu Bridge in Taipei’s east, before plunging into the Keelung River. The flight had taken off from Taipei Songshan Airport just 5 minutes before the crash. At least 9 people have died, our sister paper the Apple Daily reports.
The pilot transmitted a Mayday call, reporting engine failure, but there was no further response when the control tower radioed back.
Ten passengers were able to make it out of the plane and swim to the riverbank, where they awaited emergency services.
Rescue crews arrived approximately 40 minutes after the plane crashed and are checking on the other survivors trapped inside the plane. They are also waiting on the arrival of cranes and heavy equipment to help move the plane’s partially submerged fuselage to more secure area before emergency crew will be able to gain access to the surviving passengers.