Crashed plane retrieved, 32 dead

(chinadaily.com.cn/Xinhua) Updated: 2015-02-05 08:18

TransAsia senior executives bow to the public to apologize after a plane crashed into a river. [Photo/ETtoday.net]

The mainland passengers were on trips organized by two travel agencies from Xiamen City in Fujian Province, the Taiwan tourism authority confirmed.

The plane had been in service since April 2014 and was subject to a routine safety check last month, according to Taipei authorities.

Since the crash, Taiwan's civil aeronautics authority has decided to conduct safety checks on the island's 22 ATR-72 aircraft before clearing them for flight.

Taipei Songshan Airport had canceled eight local flights, which are all served by ATR-72 aircraft, by 8 am on Thursday, according to the airport's website.

Photo from the Web.@Missxoxo168

TransAsia announced on Thursday that passengers who wanted to cancel their bookings would have their usual commission fees waived.

This is not the first time that an ATR-72 aircraft has crashed in Taiwan. On July 23, 2014, TransAsia Airways flight GE222 crashed on Taiwan's Penghu Island, killing 48 people.

TransAsia Airways, founded in 1951, was Taiwan's first private airline, mainly focusing on short overseas flights.