Tourists die in Caribbean air crash

A small aircraft has crashed into a house on the island of Saint Barthelemy in the West Indies, killing all 19 people on board and one on the ground.

The Twin Otter plane, operated by Air Caraibes, crashed after from the nearby island of Saint Martin, 24 km (15 miles) away.

An airline spokeswoman said most of the 17 passengers were French tourists - there was also an American woman and two crew members on board.

Eyewitnesses said the aircraft exploded on impact.

"It's a terrible sight," said the regional administrator, Jean-Francois Carenco.

Investigation

Police have been speaking to witnesses and searching the wreckage for clues to the cause of the crash.

Landing at Saint Barthelemy is notoriously difficult

The plane's black box flight recorder has already been recovered.

Airline officials said that landing at Saint Barthelemy - a French territory in the north-eastern Caribbean - is notoriously difficult and requires special pilot training.

The 600-metre (600 yard) airstrip lies between a beach and a steep hill, and is often swept by severe and unpredictable gusts of wind.

French President Jacques Chirac offered his "condolences and profound sympathy" to the families of the victims.