Santiago: Twenty-one people onboard a Chilean air force plane were killed when their aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean, Xinhua reported.
The plane was flying to a small island when it was lost from the radar Friday around 2148 GMT, Defence Minister Andres Allamand told reporters Saturday. The accident occurred about 600 km off the coast of Chile.
The victims included eight air force personnel, five staff of a TV channel, six members of an aid organization and two officials from the culture ministry. Eight bodies were found floating in the waters near the Juan Fernandez Islands. A search was on to find the remaining bodies. (IANS)