MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan agriculture minister and his deputy die in air crash

Gneiting, prior to his current ministerial post, was a former governor of Itapua department, one of Paraguay's main soy- producing regions.

Paraguay Agriculture Minister Luis Gneiting and three others died when the twin-engine airplane carrying them to the capital Asuncion crashed into a wetland on Wednesday night, an official told reporters on Thursday.

 “It is with great sadness that we announce the deaths of four people on a flight that had an accident,” said Joaquin Roa, the head of the National Emergency Secretariat, adding that emergency workers were trying to recover the bodies and that the aircraft was “totally disintegrated.”

A search and rescue team located the small, twin-engine aircraft on Thursday morning six kilometers from the airport in the southern city of Ayolas, where the plane took off en route to the capital, Asuncion, Luis Aguirre, head of the National Civil Aviation Directorate, said.

“The remains of the plane were found in a wetland. The tip of the tail is visible and the rest of the plane is underwater,” Aguirre said. “Based on what we can see, and this is unofficial, there are no survivors.”

Aguirre added that the plane was only in the air for two or three minutes and did not reach a high altitude. Gneiting's vice-minister for livestock, Vicente Ramirez, also died, as did the pilot and co-pilot.

Gneiting, prior to his current title, was a former governor of Itapua department, one of Paraguay's main soy- producing regions.

“All of Paraguay is in mourning over this accident,” president-elect Mario Abdo, who will take office on Aug. 15, told reporters.