Australians part of Lao plane memorial
Laos will invite the families of six Australians, who perished in a 2013 Lao Airlines crash, to memorial ceremonies in November.
The ATR 7620 twin turbo prop aircraft crashed in severe weather into the Mekong River on its approach to the Pakse Airport in Champasak province in southern Laos on October 16 last year.
All 49 passengers and crew were killed.
Lao Aviation vice president, Rara Sunthorn, said the carrier will invite "all members of the overseas families" who died on the domestic flight, QV301.
The ceremonies are to take place in the Lao capital, Vientane, but no date has yet been set.
Besides the Australians there were seven French, five Thai, three South Koreans, two Vietnamese, a Chinese, one person from Myanmar, one from Taiwan and an American. The pilot was a Cambodian national.
The Australian victims included a Sydney man, Gavin Rhodes, his wife Phoumalaysy (Lea), their daughter and a baby son. The other Australian victims were Michael Creighton, 42, an aid worker, and his father Gordon Creighton, 71, who had been visiting his son in Laos.
Mr Sunthorn told AAP Laos officials will on Friday hold a Buddhist merit making ceremony for the 17 Laotians at the crash site.
Diplomats from several of the countries whose foreign nationals died are expected to attend the morning ceremonies.
Lao officials said the formal investigation report into the accident is also planned to be released in November.
Initial reports blamed severe weather linked to a tropical typhoon for the tragedy, with strong winds sending the aircraft in the Mekong River.
A spokesperson from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the department remained in contact with relatives of the victims.
