First bodies moved from Afghan air crash

KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Afghan rescuers have begun transporting the bodies of 104 passengers, killed when an Afghan airliner crashed 11 days ago, to Kabul for identification.

Defense Ministry Spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi said the work of moving the bodies began Monday, BBC reported. He said the remains were being flown to Kabul's military hospital for identification.

Bad weather and steep, remote terrain hampered rescue efforts after the Kam Air Boeing 737 crashed at 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) up a snow-topped mountain.

There were no survivors.

Investigators have found the plane's flight data recorder, but not the cockpit voice recorder. The airliner lost contact with air traffic controllers during a heavy snowstorm on Feb. 3, while en route from the western Afghan city of Heart to Kabul.

The passengers, mostly Afghan, were also thought to include nine Turks, six Americans and three Italians. Of eight crew members, at least four were Russian and two were Afghans.