Five tourists die in Chilean plane crash
25 Nov 2006 19:29:33 GMT
Source: Reuters
SANTIAGO, Chile - Five tourists and their pilot died on Friday when the small plane they were traveling in crashed in southern Chile, the Interior Ministry said.
The plane took off at 1.35 p.m. (1635 GMT/1135 EST) from an airbase near the city of Coyhaique, 1,170 miles (1,887 km) south of the Chilean capital Santiago. An hour later, it issued a distress call before disappearing.
Rescue teams found the wreckage and the six bodies just after 7.00 p.m. There were no survivors.
At least two of five passengers were Portuguese, and not Brazilians as the government earlier been reported.
Southern Chile is an increasingly popular destination for tourists, drawn to its lakes, fjords, rivers, snow-capped mountains and glaciers.
The tourists had hired the private plane to visit the nearby San Rafael lake, a top tourist attraction, according to the bureau.
© 1998-2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
top