Taiwan plane crash death toll rises to 35

Divers have pulled four more bodies from a shallow river where a TransAsia Airways propjet crashed shortly after take-off from Taiwan’s capital, bringing the confirmed death toll to 35.

A group of relatives who had gathered on the riverbank in Taipei wailed in anguish as the bodies were brought out.

Helicopters helped to scan the river for eight people still missing. Fifteen survived the crash with injuries.

Taiwan’s Vice President, Wu Den-yih, attended a prayer session at a Taipei funeral parlour to pay respects to the victims, many of whom were from mainland China.

Mr Wu expressed condolences and praised the pilot, Liao Chien-chung, who died in the crash on Wednesday morning.

The pilots are believed to have deliberately steered the plane away from buildings in the final moments after reporting engine trouble.