Dozens killed in Laos plane crash

BANGKOK, OCT 16 - An aircraft crash ed into the Mekong river in Laos on Wednesday and 39 people were killed , local media reported

. A Lao Airlines plane on an internal flight from the capital, Vientiane, to the southern town of Pakse, crashed into the Mekong in the late afternoon, China's Xinhua state news agency said, citing the airline. A television station in neighbouring Thailand said 39 people had been killed . Airline and government officials in Laos were not immediately available for comment.