UN plane crash leaves 11 dead

AFP - Eleven people died on Friday when a UN surveillance plane crashed in eastern Haiti near the border with the Dominican Republic, a UN spokeswoman said.

Vannina Maestracci, quoting sources in the UN mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), said there were no survivors among the 11 passengers and crew -- aboard the CASA 212 plane belonging to the Uruguayan contingent of MINUSTAH.

She told reporters at UN headquarters that the casualties were Uruguayan and Jordanian but could not give a breakdown.

"The cause of the crash is unknown but an investigation has begun," Maestracci added. "The plane was on a routine surveillance mission along the border with the Dominican Republic."

The plane plunged as it approached the municipality of Ganthier, police officer Cadostin Marc-Andre told AFP, noting the bodies were found at the crash site.

Most of the plane's occupants were military officers he added.

The Brazilian-led MINUSTAH has been deployed in the impoverished Caribbean nations of eight million people since mid-2004.

The mission fields 9,123 uniformed personnel -- 7057 troops and 2066 police.