Six Argentine military killed in plane crash

LA PAZ, Bolivia, Mar 9 (Reuters) Six Argentine military officials were killed today when their plane crashed as it was taking off from El Alto airport near La Paz, a Bolivian air force official told local radio.

The official said all six people on board the executive jet were killed when the plane disintegrated soon after leaving the runway at about 3.30 p.m. local time (0100 hrs IST).

''The plane rose and as it was in mid-take off, it disintegrated,'' the air force spokesman said, adding that the aircraft was returning to Buenos Aires.

The military officials had been in neighboring Bolivia as a support team to a humanitarian mission organised by the Argentine government. No government officials were among the dead, the spokesman said.

Reuters AD VP0313