AVIATION/ TOLL RISES IN CONVIASA FL2350 CRASH

The death toll from Monday's crash of CONVIASA Flight 2350 has risen to 17 after 2 people died in hospital yesterday. Flight 2350 was on Domestic ATR42 Service from Porlamar to Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, when it crashed after declaring an emergency while on approach to Puerto Ordaz. Of those onboard, 14 of the 47 passengers and 3 of the 4 crew members, were killed in the crash. Both Pilots were among the dead. The remaining 34 people suffered from minor to critical injuries with many still hospitalized. The crash took place around 10:00am on Monday when the ATR crashed into the ground near one of the entrance gates of Siderurgica del Orinoco, Sidor, in Ciudad Guayana, some 730 miles SE of Caracas. The Venezuelan Prosecutor has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. The minister praised the employees from Sidor, who responded promptly to the crash, extinguished the flames and removed the victims. Venezuela's National Civil Aviation Institute (INAC) said that the ATR that crashed, YV-1010, was in excellent operational status and was in compliance with all required maintenance. The office went on to say that there were sustained communications between the Pilot of Flight 2350 and the control tower of Ciudad Guayana and that the Pilot reported a problem with the aircraft control system. The INAC also said the between the time the crew of Flight 2350 declared an emergency and the time it crashed, the ATR had traveled a distance of 40 miles. Both black boxes have been recovered and are in the process of being analyzed. Meanwhile, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago suspended Conviasa from flying into the country in the wake of the crash of Flight 2350. The daily service from Caracas to Trinidad and Tobago was suspended until further investigation is completed into the cause of the crash. Conviasa serves destinations in Venezuela, the Caribbean, Argentina, Iran and Syria.