Search teams today found two bodies of victims of last week’s TransAsia Airways crash in Taiwan’s capital, bringing the confirmed death toll to 42, the Central News Agency reported.

Flight GE235 crashed into the Keelung River shortly after takeoff on Feb 4 from Taipei’s Songshan Airport with 58 people on board. The accident also injured a taxi driver and passenger when the plane’s wing clipped a bridge.

There were 15 survivors. One passenger is still unaccounted for.

Hundreds of rescuers, including 171 divers, were searching for the missing passengers today. They found the two bodies about 700 metres downstream from the crash site, the Apple Daily said.

A 67-year-old diver died late yesterday when an aneurysm ruptured after he had spent three days in the river at low temperatures, officials said.

TransAsia today announced compensation to the families of each victim of about NT$14.9 million (US$475,000), but some had not accepted the deal, the Central News Agency said.

The national Civil Aeronautics Administration said 10 of 49 TransAsia pilots who fly the ATR 72 turboprop model involved in the crash had failed the first phase of proficiency tests.

It said they would be grounded for one month to receive more training before another examination. Other pilots who were overseas or on vacation would be tested soon.

- dpa