VIENNA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A twin-engine Cessna aircraft crashed in Tirol in western Austria on Sunday, killing six of eight passengers on board, the Austrian Press Agency reported.

The plane departed from Innsbruck Airport at 6:50 a.m. local time (0450 GMT) and was en route to Valencia in Spain when radio and radar contact with the plane was abruptly lost shortly after take-off.

The plane had not made a distress call, though at 7:12 a.m. the Innsbruck Airport reported to authorities that the plane had lost control.

Shortly thereafter a recreational hunter near the scene of the accident heard engine noise followed by a crash and went to investigate.

The plane burst into flames upon crashing, but one survivor managed to escape from the wreckage where he was met by the hunter, while the other survivor found with severe burns in a forested area.

Emergency services crew arrived at the scene at 7:42 a.m. where they discovered the six dead passengers in the wreckage. Despite poor visibility which forced helicopter aid to be cancelled, a 100-meter long swath that the aircraft had made through the forest was visible.

The bodies of the deceased were transported to Innsbruck for an autopsy, while an aircraft accident board investigation planned to determine the cause of the accident. Enditem

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