At least 12 dead as aircraft crashes after takeoff in Moorea

PAPEETE  (AFP) - An Air Moorea aircraft crashed Friday upon taking off from the French Polynesian island of Moorea bound for Tahiti, killing at least 12 people, an official source said in Tahiti.

"Twelve corpses have been recovered, operations are continuing," said the official.
Around 20 people were believed aboard the Twin Otter turboprop aircraft, which crashed into a lagoon.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.
The island of Moorea is 17 kilometres (10 miles) from the South Pacific island of Tahiti.