Princess Cruises says five people are dead and several others are injured after two float planes carrying passengers from a ship that left Vancouver on the weekend collided in Alaska Monday afternoon.
According to the cruise line, a de Havilland Otter DHC-3 on a trip sold through the cruise line was carrying 10 passengers and a pilot. Nine of those guests were taken to hospital in Ketchikan, near where the crash took place at around 1:10 p.m., the company said. The condition of one guest remains unknown.
In an update sent shortly before 6 p.m., Princess Cruises said all five people, including the pilot onboard the second plane died. That aircraft was a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, which was carrying cruise passengers on an independent sightseeing tour.
By that time, the U.S. Coast Guard had only confirmed three fatalities.
The coast guard and local search and rescue crews were on scene.
The cause of the collision remains unclear.
According to Princess Cruises, which confirmed in a statement that its passengers were on board the two planes, the Royal Princess left Vancouver on Saturday and was set to arrive in Anchorage on May 18.
With files from the Associated Press
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available
