26 more bodies found from missing Myanmar military plane: military

Twenty-six more bodies were found Sunday from the missing Myanmar military plane believed to have crashed, bringing the total number of bodies recovered to 59, Myanmar News Agency reported Monday.

The recovered 59 bodies include 26 males, 23 females, nine children and one unidentified. Of them, three are military officers and two are soldiers, the report cited a statement from the commander in chief's office as saying.

Weather improved Sunday, making it possible for the search to continue at the sea off the southern coast of Myanmar, covering Maungmakan beach area and Launglonbot Island. Nine naval vessels, five aircrafts and two helicopters of the Air Force as well as local vessels were mobilized.

The recovered remains were sent to the military hospital in Dawei for forensic examination.

With a load of 2.4 tons of cargo and 122 people on board, including 108 military personnel and their family members and 14 crew members, the transport plane of the Myanmar Air Force lost contact with the ground 29 minutes after taking off and went missing off the coast of southern Tanintharyi region last Wednesday afternoon on its flight from Myeik to Yangon.

Although evidence has indicated that the airplane could have crashed, the cause of the tragedy is still under investigation.