Afghan authorities have recovered several bodies from the wreckage of a passenger plane that crashed earlier this week with 48 people aboard, including six foreigners, the interior ministry said today.
The wreckage of the Afghan Pamir Airways plane was found in the Ghorband mountains in Parwan province, northeast of Kabul, after three days of searching by Afghan authorities and troops linked to the US-led foreign force in the country.
"There are no survivors unfortunately . . . police are still searching for bodies but the first of the bodies will arrive in Kabul in the military hospital by helicopter," said a spokesman for the interior ministry. It was not clear how many bodies had been found so far. Three Britons and an American were on the flight, he said.
The Antonov civilian plane was en route from the northern city of Kunduz to Kabul when it crashed in the mountainous Hindu Kush area, about three hour's drive from the capital.
Pamir is one of three private Afghan airlines operating mostly domestic routes.
The last major crash involving a passenger aircraft in Afghanistan was in February 2005 when a Boeing 737 operated by private Afghan carrier Kam Air crashed in a snow storm near Kabul, killing 104 passengers and crew.
Reuters