At least 31 were killed yesterday from the Taiwanese TransAsia passenger airline crash.
Dramatic video footage captured by a motorist has emerged on social media, showing flight GE235, a turboprop ATR 72-600 aircraft, skidding on its wing across the roadway before plummeting into the river, not far from the cityโs downtown Songshan Airport. On its way down, the plane also hit a taxi, injuring the driver, Taiwanโs TVBS news network reported. Images from local media show the aircraftโs body protruding from the water on its side, which is now missing a wing.
The victimsโ names have not been released, although Taiwanโs civil aviation authority told the Guardian Australia that the two pilots, both men, have been identified as Liao Jianzong and Liu Zizhong. A third trainee pilot was identified as Hong Binzhong. The passengers, including two children, were all reportedly from Taiwan and China. Local TV footage showed one childโs rescue.
Just in July a TransAsia Airways turboprop plane crashed on its second attempt at landing during a thunderstorm on an island off Taiwan on Wednesday, killing 47 people and setting buildings on fire.