Venezuelan plane crash kills 46

By Enrique Andres Pretel

MERIDA, Venezuela (Reuters) - All 46 people on board died when a Venezuelan passenger plane slammed into the sheer face of a foggy Andean mountain after veering off course after takeoff, officials said on Friday.

Rescuers rappelled from helicopters to search for remains in the shattered wreckage lodged 13,000 feet above sea level on a craggy, rock wall known as "Indian Face."

The blue-and-white tail of the twin-engine plane rested on the mountainside, which was charred by flames. Pieces of white fuselage and other remains from the crash littered the area, images from a video shot by searchers showed.

Whipped by cross-winds, rescue mountain-climbers struggled to lower themselves down the cliff to reach the plane operated by the small local airline Santa Barbara, civil defense chief Antonio Rivero said.

"This plane was found completely wrecked, smashed against the face of one of the mountains," Rivero said. "Unfortunately everyone aboard died."

With few clearings to land choppers, searchers set up camp almost a mile away and trekked across the rugged terrain to the wreckage. The plane crashed 6 miles from the tourist city of Merida after taking off for the capital Caracas on Thursday before dusk in a notoriously difficult region to navigate.

"It makes your heart ache. Venezuela is in mourning," President Hugo Chavez said in a televised speech.

He pledged a thorough investigation into what caused the crash. The mountainous region is known for their condors and adventure trails.