Of the 58 passengers aboard a TransAsia Airways flight, 31 are dead, 15 wounded and 12 remain missing. This is the tally of the tragic accident that took place on Wednesday in Taiwan, when the flight leaving Taipei towards the island of Kinmen crashed into a river shortly after take-off.
Upon hearing about the tragedy, Pope Francis expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a message sent to Archbishop Hung Shan-chuan of Taipei, and signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
“The Holy Father wishes to offer his sincerest condolences to the civil authorities and assures the families of the victims and the missing his spiritual closeness,” the message stated. The Pope’s condolence letter was released by the communications office of the Apostolic Nunciature.
The Pope – the statement continues – “prays for the eternal repose of the dead, and invokes the strength and consolation of God to the wounded and those who are mourning.”
According to the latest information, a recording of a conversation between the pilot of the aircraft and the air traffic control tower in Zhongshan airport indicates that one of the motors caught fire and possibly caused the accident.
