SANTO DOMINGO, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- A small aircraft with seven people aboard crashed on Friday at some 60 km from eastern La Romana province in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Republic's Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) reported.

    IDAC's spokesman Pedro Jimenez said the aircraft lifted off from Venezuelan Maiqueti airport in Caracas and suffered an accident at about 12:17 local time (16:17 GMT).

    Until midday on Friday it is still not known if there are survivors, Jimenez told journalists.