No survivors in mining chief plane crash

Rescuers found no survivors in the wreckage of a plane carrying 11 people, including  the entire board of the Australian mining group Sundance Resources company. The plane disappeared on its way from Cameroon to Republic of Congo over the weekend.

Reuters

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith warned that retrieving the bodies could be "regrettably painstaking", as the twin turboprop plane went down in thick jungle in the Congo.

Six Australians, two Britons, two French and one US national were on the plane chartered by Sundance. The group was on its way to look at an iron ore mine.

Mining head Ken Talbot and his bord of directors were in central Africa to visit the company's operations and meet with officials.

Sundance has suspended its shares, while former chairman Geoff Jones said he would try to rebuild the board immediately.