Eight Italians were aboard a Venezuelan passenger plane which crashed into the sea near the Los Roques archipelago in the Caribbean on Friday, the Italian foreign ministry confirmed.
The plane, run by the Venezuelan company Transaven and bound for Caracas with 14 passengers on board, took off from Los Roques and crashed into the sea a few minutes later, Venezuelan officials reported.
Venezuela navy boats and civil protection aircraft were reportedly heading for the crash site, 100 km from Caracas, to look for survivors.
According to airline sources, one of the two pilots of the plane reported problems with both of the aircraft's engines and attempted a crash landing in the sea.
Los Roques is a popular tourist resort.
