UN sends liaison officer to committee probing Afghan air crash

A liaison officer from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has joined the Joint Security Committee Center set up to investigate Thursday's deadly Kam Air plane crash.

“We are confident that a thorough investigation will be conducted so we – and the families of the victims – know what happened to the beloved ones,” UNAMA spokesman Ariane Quentier told the press in Kabul today. The Committee is led by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The crash site has been identified, but rescue teams were still unable to reach the plane, according to UNAMA. “The peaks of the mountain are very steep, making landing of the ISAF helicopters extremely difficult,” Ms. Quentier said, adding that weather conditions were further complicating the rescue operation.

Most of the 104 passengers on the plane were Afghans, but there were also some international workers “who had dedicated their lives to help in this country's reconstruction efforts,” the spokesman noted, conveying sympathies to all those affected by the disaster.