A Swiss-registered charter plane with 41 people aboard, mostly Libyan and British oil workers, crashed in the sea off Libya. Eighteen people were reported to have been rescued last night, but 15 of the 23 still missing were reported to be dead. The Zurich-based operator Avisto AG said the Shorts SD360 aircraft, flying from Tripoli, had made an emergency landing in the sea during its approach to Marsa el Brega.
"We believe that 15 people died and we sincerely hope that there will be no more victims to mourn," said a Swiss Transport Ministry spokeswoman in Berne.
The Libyan news agency Jana quoted Libyan aviation and energy officials as saying a search operation was under way and 18 people had been rescued so far. It said the passengers worked for Libya's Sirte Oil Co.
There was no immediate word on the nationalities of those feared dead, or on the details of the Libyan rescue operation.
The Swiss ministry said the plane had sunk. Avisto's spokesman told Swiss radio that 16 of those on board were from Libya, 13 from Britain, two from Canada, three from India, three from Croatia, three from the Philippines and one from Pakistan.
Avisto shuttles oil workers for Sirte Oil Co between Tripoli in the west, oilfields and company offices at Marsa el Brega in the eastern corner of the Gulf of Sirte.
"Around 12.30 p.m. (11.30 p.m. GMT) the pilot began a normal approach to Brega airport," the Swiss ministry said in a statement. "About five minutes later he reported that both engines had cut out and announced he was attempting an emergency landing on water."
"The aircraft hit the water just before the Libyan coast and sank."
A British aviation expert, Mr David Learmount, said either the plane had run out of fuel or the same maintenance fault had been made on both engines.
The Avisto plane was the second Swiss aircraft to crash this week. On Monday a Crossair Saab 340 commuter plane went down just after takeoff from Zurich, killing all 10 on board.