Plane crashes with 47 aboard in Venezuela; at least 23 survive, official says

Ven official: at least 23 survive plane crash

CARACAS, Venezuela — A Venezuelan official says at least 23 people have initially survived a plane crash in eastern Venezuela.

Bolivar state Gov. Francisco Rangel Gomez tells Venezuela-based television network Telesur that at least 23 people were taken to hospitals. The plane that went down Monday carried at least 47 passengers and crew.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A plane carrying 47 people crashed shortly after takeoff Monday in eastern Venezuela, and it wasn’t immediately clear how many were hurt or killed.

The plane from the state airline Conviasa crashed about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the eastern city of Puerto Ordaz at about 10 a.m. (1430 GMT), Transportation Minister Francisco Garces told state television. He said the plane went down on the property of the state-run Sidor steel foundry.

Rescue workers were tending to injured victims, state emergency management director Jose Zamora told the Venezuelan television channel Globovision. He did not say how many had survived.

Forty-three passengers and four crew members were aboard, Garces said.

Garces said the plane was headed to Margarita Island when it crashed shortly after takeoff, for reasons that were unclear.