Americas

Americas

Five killed, 3 missing after Chilean plane crash

03 March 2012 03:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Five people were confirmed dead while the rest three onboard were still missing after a light plane crashed Thursday in Chile, authorities said Friday, APA reports quoting Xihua.

Defense Minister Andres Allamand had previously confirmed three deaths but authorities said later that rescuers have found five bodies.

"I don’t have any information about the rest of the passengers, but we have specialized personnel working where the bodies of the airplane were found," he said.

Allamand added that the Air Force and Navy had found the aircraft’s fuselage in Piedra Blanca sector, near Quellon, a port located in Chiloe Island.

The one-motor Piper aircraft crashed soon after taking off from Melinka, 1,370 km south of Santiago. Some witness said they saw it aircraft plunged into a river.

Local press reports said the passengers on the plane were members of a family that was traveling from Melinka to Quellon.