BRAZIL: More bodies recovered from plane crash site

Brazilians are demanding to know what caused the Sao Paulo plane crash which killed up to 200 people. As rescue teams continue to pull out charred bodies from inside the terminal the Airbus 320 ploughed into, it's clear the death toll is set to rise further. The TAM plane was carrying 186 passengers and crew when it slid off a short, rain-soaked runway at Congonhas airport, hurdling a busy road and slamming into a gas station and cargo terminal. By Thursday (July 19) morning firefighters had found 185 bodies. At the TAM cargo building hit by the plane, ten have been hospitalized, four died and some twenty workers are still missing. An acrid haze hung over the crowded neighbourhood near Brazil's busiest airport as rescuers wearing masks put bodies in refrigerated trucks bound for the morgue. Dental records and jewellry are being used to identify victims. The crash is being felt throughout the industry. On Thursday a TAM aircraft gave up its landing procedure as it approached Congonhas airport amid haze. The plane landed safely later. But Brazil's air authority Infraero said the attempted landing was not related to Tuesday's crash. It said that the aircraft was probably too high to land. According to TAM this is a common safety procedure which always occurs when a pilot encounters any kind of difficulty. Safety experts have accused the government of recklessly rushing to reopen an airport crucial to Brazil's economy.

ITN Source | July 20, 2007

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