More bodies recovered from Myanmar plane crash

By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON, Myanmar (AA) - Rescue workers recovered more bodies on Monday as improved weather aided the search for a military plane that crashed off the southern coast of Myanmar last week, organizers said.

In a statement, the military said clearer weather in the Andaman Sea had prompted the deployment of more naval ships, military aircraft and fishing trawlers to hunt for the transport plane and the remains of the 122 passengers and crew.

Seventeen bodies were pulled from the sea on Monday, bringing the number of recovered corpses to 76, including 28 women and 12 children.

The Chinese-made Y8-200F four-propeller plane crashed at sea last Wednesday evening as it headed to Yangon from the coastal town of Myeik in southern Tanintharyi.

Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who heads Myanmar’s armed forces, said the weather was likely to have been the main factor in the accident, local media reported.

“The crashed plane [is] expected to be found soon as the plane crash site is in the country’s territory,” he said.