48 Killed In Taiwan Plane Crash

Flight GE222, an ATR 72 carrying 58 people, crashed into residential buildings after a failed attempt to land at Magong airport, amid stormy weather in the area

"I heard a loud bang. I thought it was thunder, and then I heard another bang and I saw a fireball not far away from my house," said a resident.

The other 10 passengers on board were injured, with 5 Penghu residents on the ground getting minor injures

Official said strong winds from Typhoon Matmo, which hit Taiwan early Wednesday, forced the plane to attempt a crash landing twice.

At the time the pilot attempted to land, the plane was about 1,600 meters (1 mile) and considered acceptable for landing.

The plane is said to have taken off from Kaohsiung, Taiwan where it had been delayed because of conditions related to a typhoon.

The central weather bureau reported lightning storms at the time and winds between 40 and 45 mph

The 7:00 pm accident was Taiwan's first fatal air crash in more than a decade after a Hong Kong bound China Airlines flight crashed near Penghu, killing all 225 on board.

The Penghu Islands are off the west coast of the main Taiwanese island.

Source BBC

By Morgan Mueke