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| No survivors in Venezuela crash | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A commercial aircraft was totally destroyed when it crashed into an Andean mountain-face in Venezuela, killing all 46 people on board. | |
| Wreckage of the plane was found early on Friday just 10km (six miles) north-east of the city of Merida. | |
| It had taken off from the western city shortly before dusk on Thursday and on a flight to the capital, Caracas. | |
| President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela was in mourning and called for a full investigation into the incident. | |
| The mostly Venezuelan victims among the 43 passengers and three crew members included three Colombians and a US citizen. | |
| Wall of rock | |
| "The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically pulverised," firefighter Sgt Johnny Paz told the Venezuelan TV station Globovision. | "The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically pulverised," firefighter Sgt Johnny Paz told the Venezuelan TV station Globovision. |
| They have given us the news that there's nothing there, that there are no survivors Olivia Gil,relative of victim | They have given us the news that there's nothing there, that there are no survivors Olivia Gil,relative of victim |
| "It crashed at an altitude of 12,000 feet (4,000 metres) against a wall of rock," he said. "There are no survivors." | "It crashed at an altitude of 12,000 feet (4,000 metres) against a wall of rock," he said. "There are no survivors." |
| The area's mountainous terrain has made reaching the wreckage difficult. | |
| "The plane is just too destroyed and it is in such a tough area," said Gerardo Rojas, a regional civil defence chief. | |
| Only the tail of the twin-engine ATR-42 plane, operated by the Santa Barbara airline, was visible from the air. | |
| Rescuers rappelled down from helicopters to search the wreckage. | Rescuers rappelled down from helicopters to search the wreckage. |
| Other search parties had been sent on Thursday night by foot. | |
| Difficult to navigate | Difficult to navigate |
| At Simon Bolivar airport in Caracas, where the plane had been due to arrive, relatives of victims received support from psychiatrists having been informed there were no survivors. | |
| Merida is located about 680km (420 miles) south-west of Caracas. | |
| It is notoriously difficult to navigate around the city. | It is notoriously difficult to navigate around the city. |
| Pilots are given special training to take off and land at the airport because the city is surrounded by high mountains. | Pilots are given special training to take off and land at the airport because the city is surrounded by high mountains. |
| Visibility is often poor and planes are not allowed to take off at night. | Visibility is often poor and planes are not allowed to take off at night. |
| However, the weather on departure was said to have been normal for Merida. | However, the weather on departure was said to have been normal for Merida. |
| No distress call was reported from the pilot. | No distress call was reported from the pilot. |
| The crashed plane was a turboprop aircraft produced by ATR, a French-Italian company. | |
| Santa Barbara airline's president, Jorge Alvarez, said the plane had been well maintained and had no history of technical problems. | Santa Barbara airline's president, Jorge Alvarez, said the plane had been well maintained and had no history of technical problems. |
| The plane was about 20 years old and the pilot had been working for Santa Barbara for eight years, he said. | The plane was about 20 years old and the pilot had been working for Santa Barbara for eight years, he said. |