Plane with eight people goes missing in Chile

Santiago, March 23 (IANS) A small plane with eight people onboard went missing in Chile shortly after taking off Thursday, the civil aviation authority said.

The plane, a Beechcraft BE300, disappeared from radar around 40 minutes after taking off from the southern city of Punta Arenas, Xinhua reported.

A stress call had been sent by the pilot before losing contact with ground control, officials said.

The eight passengers included a patient and three medical personnel. The plane was on its way to the Chilean capital Santiago.

The Chilean Air Force has launched a search and rescue mission.