BANGKOK, October 16 (Itar-Tass) - Forty-four people died in the crash of a passenger airliner in Laos, Southeast Asia, on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry of the neighbouring country of Thailand reported.

According to the Thai Embassy in the capital of Laos, the turboprop airliner ATR of Lao Airlines was carrying five crewmembers and 39 passengers. Three of them were subjects of the kingdom.

The airliner was heading towards Pakse, capital and most populous city of the Champasak province.

It was previously reported that the commercial jet crash landed in the Mekong river. No other details are currently available.