Taiwan rescuers are scouring a river for 12 people still missing from a TransAsia plane crash, as the pilot, who died in the crash, was hailed a hero for apparently battling to avoid hitting built-up areas.
Hundreds of rescuers in boats, as well as divers and soldiers, mounted the search on Thursday in the chilly waters, as the death toll rose to 31 with more bodies located, including those of the pilot and co-pilot.
The TransAsia ATR 72-600 crashed shortly after take-off from Songshan airport in Taipei on Wednesday, hitting an elevated road as it banked sidelong towards the Keelung River, leaving a trail of debris, including a smashed taxi.
In an operation overnight, large parts of the plane's fuselage were lifted from the river, enabling rescuers to recover bodies trapped inside. Divers on Thursday battled strong currents to search downstream for more victims.
Pilot Liao Chien-tsung was applauded by aviation experts for apparently steering the turboprop plane, which had 53 passengers and five crew on board, away from populated areas and high-rise buildings, potentially avoiding more deaths and damage.
"Based on the flight path, the pilot deviated and tried to avoid obstacles. The pilot apparently made a conscious effort to avoid further and unnecessary casualties by ditching in the river. It was a very courageous move," Hong Kong-based aviation analyst Daniel Tsang said.
Emotional citizens posted their praise and condolences on social media sites.
"I believe the pilot managed to steer the plane away from high-rise buildings, he is a hero," Gin Oy, a writer and actress, said on her Facebook page.
The Apple Daily newspaper ran a front-page story thanking "the pilot for saving Taipei".
"We are proud of him. He was very brave to avoid the buildings," Liao's aunt told reporters at a funeral home in Taipei.
Tales of miracle escapes emerged, as television footage showed a father cuddling his toddler son as they were taken to shore by boat after being rescued on Wednesday.
Together with the child's mother, the family had switched seats on the plane "out of a hunch" that saved their lives, the United Daily News said.
"The family originally sat in the heavily damaged left side but Lin Ming-wei felt uneasy after he heard noises before taking off and requested to switch seats," the report quoted Dai Bi-chin, a friend of the family, as saying after visiting them in hospital.
Their new seats put them next to a crack in the plane after it crashed, and the newspaper said Lin was able to pull his wife to safety and then revive his son after spotting him in the water, blue and unresponsive.
The accident, which occurred on a domestic route to the island of Kinmen, was the second fatal crash for TransAsia after one of its flights crashed in July during a storm, killing 48 people.
Among the 15 survivors of the crash, 26-year-old flight attendant Huang Jin-ya had a second lucky escape - she was supposed to be on the plane that crashed in July, but switched her shift with a co-worker, according to local reports.
"She crawled out of the plane using her last moments of consciousness and saw water everywhere. She kept crying and said to me 'I thought I was going to die'," her aunt was quoted by the United Daily News as saying.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration has grounded a total of 22 ATR planes from two Taiwanese airlines for safety checks following the accident.
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