JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Five people were killed when their light aircraft crashed near Cornelia in northern Free State, South Africa, after disappearing on Tuesday on a flight from Pretoria to Harrismith, local media reported Wednesday.

    Fred Slippers, a local emergency services spokesman, confirmed to the SAPA news agency that the aircraft had been found and that all five passengers were dead.

    An early report of the SAPA said there were four occupants on the Aerostar, a US-registered light aircraft.

    A SABC news report said the plane went down on a farm near Cornelia, with the cause of the crash unknown at present stage.

    The plane left the Wonderboom airdrome near Pretoria at about 4:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) on Tuesday and was due to land at Harrismith at 5:30 p.m. (1530 GMT).

    About 20 minutes before landing, a passenger on the aircraft told a family member through cellphone to collect them at the airport. But that was the last word from the group and the aircraft never landed. Enditem