Taiwan’s Central News Agency has just reported that a TransAsia Airways passenger plane crashed into residential buildings in an emergency landing in Taiwan’s Pengu Islands, killing 51 people.
The crashed happened just outside Magong airport around 7 p.m.local time.
The news agency cited the head of the fire department in the Taiwanese county of Penghu as saying that seven people were also injured in the crash.
It said Flight GE 222 took off at 5 p.m. in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city, and was scheduled to land at Magong 35 minutes later.
Local firefighters say the plane did not reach the airport landing strip, but crashed into a residential nearby, losing contact with flight radars for a few moments before the crash.
CNN reports that a typhoon had just left the area around the islands and that visibility was bad as the plane was trying to land.
Plane crashes after failing to make emergency landing in Taiwan – @BBCBreaking, @AP http://t.co/MK4EfbvReR
— Breaking News (@BreakingNews) July 23, 2014
#GE222 #TransAsia UPDATE:
Status of 58 people on board crashed flight 'uncertain:' CAA
http://t.co/wawCE596xy pic.twitter.com/iGFPTjuGZD
— Focus Taiwan (@Focus_Taiwan) July 23, 2014
#Taiwan flight #GE222:Rescue teams say they have recovered 10 bodies so far from crash site.#BREAKING #UPDATE #crash pic.twitter.com/SDfClWW5P9
— CCTVNEWS (@cctvnews) July 23, 2014
[Update] 10:25pm
Transport minister Yeh Kuang-shih confirmed to reporters that 47 people are dead and 11 people are injured.
58 people were on board the 72 seater plane, including 54 passengers, 4 of them children, and 4 crew.
"@cctvnews: #BREAKING #UPDATE Pictures: #Taiwan #GE222 plane crash: 47 dead, 11 injured. https://t.co/mLfNpCzxzC pic.twitter.com/T28lVoSQ83"
— ??? ??? ?? (@artblue092) July 23, 2014
Here’s a raw video footage of the scene where the plane crashed:
Last week, Malaysian Airlines MH17 was also shot down in Ukraine Airspace , making the crash of GE222 the second tragedy this week.
It makes us wonder, is it no longer safe to fly?enablejsapi=1&html5=1&
[Update] 10:55pm
Satellite image shows storm approaching Taiwan near time of #GE222 crash pic.twitter.com/UI3yj9Giaj
Live Blog: http://t.co/o5nDHtfGfS
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) July 23, 2014
This is a developing story.
