47 killed in Taiwan plane's botched landing

Taipei, July 23 (IANS) Forty-seven people on board a Taiwanese TransAsia Airways plane were killed in a failed emergency landing in the island county of Penghu Wednesday, Taiwan's transportation authority has confirmed.

Eleven others have been injured, Xinhua reported citing the authority. An earlier report put the toll at 51

The twin-engine ATR-72 turboprop aircraft was carrying 54 passengers and four crew. The plane was travelling from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan to Penghu Islands in the west.

Flight GE 222 was scheduled to take off at 4 p.m., but left Kaohsiung at 5.43 p.m. due to bad weather.

The flight sought to circle above before trying to land at Magong Airport but lost contact with the tower, said Jean Shen, director general of Taiwan's civil aeronautics administration, at a press conference.

The accident happened as typhoon Matmo arrived in the island with heavy rain and strong winds, shutting financial markets and schools.