No survivors in Polish air crash

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7205810.stm

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A Polish military aircraft has crashed in the country's northwest, killing everyone on board.

At least 19 people were on the Casa C-295M military transport plane when it came down 2km (1.2 miles) from an air base in the town of Miroslawiec.

It was carrying officials who had attended an air safety conference.

"Soldiers, husbands, and fathers have died, and that is the most tragic result of this catastrophe," said the Polish PM Donald Tusk.

Some reports said there were 20 people on board the plane, which had taken off from the Polish capital, Warsaw.

Mr Tusk was speaking after rushing to the site of the Polish air force's worst accident for 35 years.

Fruitless search

The BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw says it appears the aircraft suddenly fell from a height of 200m (650ft), crashed into forest and burst into flames at around 1900 (1800GMT) on Wednesday.

Emergency service officials had been hampered in their attempts to search for survivors by the fire and restricted access in the forest.

Bad weather is not thought by officials to have been a factor in the tragedy.

Miroslawiec is home to the Polish Air Force's 12th air base.

The C-295M is a medium-range, twin-turboprop aircraft developed by the Madrid-based manufacturer, Construcciones Aeronauticas SA (Casa).