As many as 47 people are dead following a plane crash off the coast of Taiwan.
The images are heartbreaking. Taiwanese TV aired video of the grieving families while Chinese TV showed rescue crews arriving at the fiery scene. (Via CTI-TV)
The details as of Wednesday morning are scarce, but here's what being reported. (Via CCTV)
According to the South China Morning Post, the TransAsia Airways passenger plane was carrying 58 people, four of whom were children.
The plane was en route from southern Taiwan to the island of Penghu. After a failed attempt to make an emergency landing, the captain reportedly requested to land again but lost contact with the control tower. It crash-landed in the city of Magong, about 30 miles off Taiwan's west coast. (Via Google)
It then caught fire, according to Taiwan's Apple Daily, and damaged at least two nearby houses. Early reports suggest weather was a factor in the crash.
Since making landfall Tuesday, Typhoon Matmo has battered Taiwan with heavy rains and fierce winds, prompting the cancellation of about 300 flights Tuesday. (Via NTD-TV)
A meteorologist for AccuWeather made note of the radar at the time of the crash, adding pilots typically avoid such cloud conditions — prompting many on Twitter to ask: Why was the plane flying in typhoon conditions to begin with? (Via Twitter /@anthonywx)
It's of course been an especially tragic week for the aviation industry. This latest plane crash comes less than a week after the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in Ukraine. (Via Getty Images)
