At least 12 people have
died after a TransAsia Airways plane clipped a bridge and crashed into a
river near the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.
Fifty-eight people were onboard the domestic flight, and a number of people were reportedly injured.
Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) broadcast footage of the plane almost submerged in the Keelung river.
Rescue teams are alongside the plane trying to rescue several people still trapped inside.
Cindy Sui reports: ''Many of the people on board are still inside the aircraft''
Flight controllers lost contact with the plane at 10:55 local time (02:55 GMT).
Footage of the plane apparently filmed from inside passing cars showed it banking sharply, hitting a taxi and clipping the bridge before crashing into the river.
- Founded in 1951 as Taiwan's first private civilian-operated domestic airline, later expanded to overseas routes.
- One of the region's smaller carriers though has rapidly expanded in recent years.
- Has about 20 planes in its fleet - a mix of Airbus and dual-propeller ATR planes.
- Gained popularity due to its low-cost tickets.
- Flies many routes between Taiwan and mainland China, and to other parts of South East Asia.
Those that were rescued were helped into dinghies and taken to shore, including a small boy.
Taipei officials said 16 people suffered injuries. Thirty people are still unaccounted for.
The BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei says the Chinese tourists could have been on their way home as many people come to Taiwan through Kinmen island.
In July last year 48 people died when a TransAsia Airways plane crashed amid stormy weather in Taiwan's Penghu archipelago.
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