Three people are still missing Monday morning as search-and-recovery efforts entered their sixth day following the crash of a TransAsia Flight 235.
The ATR-72 turboprop plane crashed into the Keelung River in Taipei just minutes after taking off from Taipei Songshan Airport last Wednesday. 40 of the 58 people on board have been confirmed dead. 15 passengers survived the crash.
The search team has mapped out 22 hotspots around the crash site. Sonar equipment has shown that there are large metal objects in the water in these areas. Experts believe that the three missing passengers might be in one of these areas, stuck in the mud and still in their seats. Divers, rescue boats, and helicopters are searching along the Keelung River in an area ranging from 100 meters upstream of the crash site to about 20 kilometers downstream of the site.
Government agencies across the country will fly their flags at half-mast Tuesday in remembrance of those who died in the crash.