Death Toll From Plane Crash Rises to Six in Venezuela
Xinhua | Apr. 29, 2008
Six people are now confirmed dead after a small aircraft crashed into a house in the coastal area of Catia La Mar, northern Venezuela, officials said on Apr. 29.
The bodies recovered on Apr. 29 were those of a resident of the house and a passenger from the aircraft, said officials from Catia La Mar in the state of Vargas.
Both victims suffered severe burns, said firefighters.
On Apr. 28, the small aircraft crashed into the house in the morning, killing four people instantly and injuring four others.
The three-storey house caught fire after the crash. Two other houses nearby also caught fire but nobody in these was injured.
All the deceased -- the aircraft's copilot and three people in the house -- were burned beyond recognition, said officials.
The injured, including the pilot and two minors, have been taken to hospitals in Catia La Mar.
The Navajo PA-31 aircraft, belonging to the Charter VIP enterprise, took off from Simon Bolivar Airport at 09:34 local time (14:04GMT) on Apr. 28 and was heading for Curazao island, northwest of Venezuela.
Civil protection director Luis Curvelo said the pilot had reported engine problems before the crash.