MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Ten people killed as small chartered plane crashes few minutes after takeoff in Uruguay
The “Beechcraft C 90” model was registered in Argentina under the ID “LV-CEO”, belonged to Aviajet, and was carrying 8 passengers and 2 pilots 
Laguna del Sauce is a small international airport with flight connections to Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo Ten people have been reported dead when a small chartered airplane with Argentine plates crashed Thursday night after taking off at the Laguna del Sauce airport, near the Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este. Rescue teams and fire personnel confirmed at least seven charred bodies.
The aircraft, a “Beechcraft C 90” model Air King that was registered in Argentina under the ID “LV-CEO” and belonging to Aviajet, carried 10 people on board: eight passengers and two pilots (eight men and two women).
According to Uruguayan officials the accident happened at 20:37, a few minutes after takeoff and in an area to the north of a lagoon of difficult access which had to be reached with Zodiac rafts. A helicopter with spot lights was helping the emergency teams.
Rescuers working at the scene reported the aircraft crashed head on in shallow water to the north of the lagoon. Judge Adriana Morosoni also present during rescue operations declared the area out of limits and said bodies would be rescued early morning Friday.
Witnesses at the airport said that a few minutes after takeoff they heard a significant explosion followed by a huge fireball.
The passengers were members of the Argentine company La Rural which is an associate in a project to exploit a Convention Center under construction in the Atlantic resort of Punta del Este and had flown to Uruguay for a business conference with their Uruguayan partners and the local government.
La Rural is a leading company in Argentina and Latin America in the fairs, congress and events industry.
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Read all commentsThat was a pretty little twin turbine three prop plane that sat at the far end park most of this summer together with its sister.
Mar 20th, 2015 - 11:46 am 0Always sad to hear of this sort of disaster.
Always sad to hear of loss of life.
Mar 20th, 2015 - 12:19 pm 0Let's just hope they weren't 'suicided'. Did they have links with argentine Farmers Union?
1st, the model of the plane is not “air king”, but “king air”.
Mar 20th, 2015 - 12:31 pm 02nd, punta del este is not an atlantic resort, but a city.
and you christine, what “pretty little plane” are you talking about?
it is the best in its category.
now, the strange thing is that it is an 8 passenger plane, and this one had a 10 seater configuration.
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