Taiwan plane crash kills 48 and injures 10

taiwan-plane-crashAt least 48 people were killed and 10 injured when a twin-engine turboprop plane crashed while attempting to land in Penghu Islands, according to Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration.

TransAsia Airways Flight GE 222 was preparing to land at Magong Airport in heavy rain on Wednesday and had asked for its second go-around before the accident occurred, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.

Visibility at the airport during the plane’s attempted landing was about 1,600 meters (1 mile) and considered acceptable for landing, Jean Shen, Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration director told reporters.

Transportation officials arrived Thursday morning to investigate the disaster and assist in relief work. The cause of the crash remains unclear and authorities have identified 14 of the 48 killed, according to CNA.

The plane, an ATR 72-500, carried 54 passengers and four crew members.

Footage on scene showed the plane had crashed in a residential area and broken into pieces. Witnesses told CNN affiliate ETTV that they saw homes on fire after the plane crashed around 7 p.m. The fallen plane destroyed or damaged 11 houses, EETV reported.