Plane carrying 58 people crashes in Taiwan

Wednesday, February 4, 2015, 8:38 AM -

At least 25 people are dead after a passenger plane crash in Taiwan.

Some passengers were reported to have swum clear, in cold water, while rescuers were bundled up against the winds and air temperatures in the mid teens, but more than 20 people are confirmed dead, with more injured and missing.

The dramatic footage up above, from TVBS, shows the moment an out-of-control TransAsia aircraft clips a highway in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, damaging a taxi on its way to the crash site in the city's Keelung River. 

The taxi driver was taken to hospital.

The Straits Times reports at least 23 people have been confirmed dead in the crash, 14 who died in the crash and another nine who died after being taken to hospital. 

Fifteen people have been reported injured, while 20 are still missing, according to Taiwanese fire officials who say attempts to reach the front of the plane, which is partially buried in the river bed and is believed to house several of the missing passengers, have been difficult.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, but the aircraft's black box has been recovered, and the BBC reports the pilot's last emergency transmission referenced an engine flame out.

This is the low-cost airline's second disaster in less than a year: Another TransAsia flight crashed in July last year, with 48 people killed.

The crashed plane was an ATR-72 turboprop, according to the Wall Street Journal, which says it's the fourth crash the airline has experienced with that aircraft type since 1995.