Remains of 3 Taiwan plane crash victims set for Xiamen

The bodies of three people that died in the Taiwan plane crash were transported to Xiamen on Monday morning, the first of the deceased to be repatriated after a TransAsia Airlines crash, which killed at least 40 people.

The remains of the three Chinese mainland victims, accompanied by relatives, departed for Xiamen in southeastern Fujian Province from Taiwan's Taoyuan Airport, said Man Hongwei, head of the Taipei office for the Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits.

The families of the other 26 mainland victims have yet to decide if their relatives will be cremated in Taiwan, according to TransAsia Airways, which said it will offer transportation assistance if needed.

Among the 53 passengers of the flight from Taipei to Kinmen, was 31 tourists from the mainland and 22 residents of Taiwan. One flight attendant and 14 passengers survived.

Rescue workers continued their search along the Keelung River for the last three missing passengers on Sunday. A memorial ceremony will be held on Feb. 10 in Taipei.

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