Plane carrying 58 people hits bridge, crashes into river

Nine people are confirmed dead and rescuers were working Wednesday to pull survivors from the submerged wreck of a TransAsia flight in Taiwan.

The flight, which was carrying 53 passengers and five crew, crashed shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, en route to the island of Kinmen.

A Taipei City government spokesperson said the ATR 72 twin engine turboprop aircraft hit the Nanhu Bridge before crashing into the Keelung River, just before 11 a.m. local time (10 p.m. ET).

Taiwan's official news agency CNA reported that the pilot appeared to try to control the plane as it descended, but the aircraft's wings grazed an overpass and hit a taxi.

The taxi's occupants were injured but in a stable condition after being taken to hospital.

Thirty passengers were still missing, CNA reported, as video from the scene showed rescuers in lifeboats trying to pull survivors from the water and the wreckage.

According to the report, 31 passengers aboard the flight were Chinese tourists from Xiamen. Two children were on board.

The CAA said the plane was less than a year old and had last completed a safety check on January 26. The agency did not offer any information on what may have caused the crash.

Last year, an older TransAir ATR 72, which was attempting to land in the Taiwanese Penghu Islands crashed, resulting in 49 deaths.