Costa Rica plane crash claims 12 lives including 10 American visitors

A plane carrying 10 America tourists crashed in a wooded area of Costa Rica on Sunday, killing everyone on board, according to the country’s government.

The Public Safety Ministry posted photographs and video of the burning wreckage in the north-west region of Guanacaste.

It offered no further details of the cause but said the plane's two Costa Rican crew members also died in the crash.

Local media reported that five members of an American family were among the dead and said that the Nature Air flight encountered problems soon after take off on its way to Juan Santamaria International Airport.

Laura Chinchilla, who served as president of Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014, said her cousin was one of the crew members who died.

"There are no people alive," said Gustavo Mata, security minister, saying identification of the victims would take some time because their remains were badly burned.

The single propeller Cessna 208 Caravan came down in the mountainous area of Punta Islita, on the country’s Pacific Coast, which is popular with tourists for its pristine beaches and tropical landscape.