All Passengers Killed in Laos Plane Crash

A Laos Airlines flight crashed today in the Southeast Asian country, killing all 44 people aboard, an official in neighboring Thailand said. Sek Wannamethee said the flight from the Lao capital of Vientiane to Pakse in southern Laos crashed at about 4pm local time. He said the flight crashed 4 to 5 miles short of the international airport at Pakse. Reports by China's official Xinhua News Agency and Thai media said the plane crashed in the Mekong River.

Bad weather appears to have been at play, reports CNN, citing local media. Sek said five Thai nationals were among the 39 passengers. Five crew members were also aboard. Calls to Lao government officials and airline offices seeking further details went unanswered. The airline flies an ATR-72 twin-engine turboprop plane on the 290-mile route. (More Laos stories.)