A private plane with nine people on board crashed on Tuesday in the northeastern Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said.
The crash occurred around 1 p.m. local time (1730 GMT) along the state's coastline, Reverol said, adding that the plane was flying towards Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, in the northern state of Vargas.
The Gulfstream jet, registered with the presidential office, reportedly suffered a mechanical failure that caused it to crash, he said.
"The national government has activated search and rescue efforts to locate the aircraft and its crew," Reverol said.
A 100-member contingent of the Bolivarian National Guard has been mobilized to search the crash site.
