Lao defense chief, 4 others killed in plane crash

Rescue workers search an air force plane crash site near Nadee village, in Xiang Khouang province in the north of the country May 17, 2014.[Photo/Agencies]

Others killed in the crash included Minister of Public Security Thongbane Sengaphone, Vientiane Gov. Sukhan Mahalad and at least one other senior ruling party official, Sek said. He said he was given the information by authorities in neighboring Laos who did not immediately release details about the other passengers.

The Lao government is known for its secrecy, and most information about the crash _ including the initial confirmation that it occurred _ came from officials in neighboring Thailand.

``The accident happened as the plane was about to land at Xiangkhoung airport,'' said Sek. The airport is near one of Laos' major archaeological sites, the Plain of Jars. Xiangkhoung province borders northwestern Vietnam.

Authorities were investigating the cause of the crash.

The mountainous, landlocked country of 6.5 million people is one of the poorest in Asia. Its leaders are among the region's most secretive, tolerating almost no opposition and maintaining strict control over the media.

Douangchay as defense minister, and Thongbane as the security chief were both powerful and influential forces in the country's security operation. While the precise impact of their deaths was not immediately clear, analysts viewed their sudden departure as an unexpected blow to the government and the ruling party.

``It seems inevitable that the deaths of these officials, especially the two ministers, will have an impact on the power structure of the party and in Laos more generally,'' said Simon Creak, a historian of Laos and Southeast Asia at Japan's Kyoto University. ``Especially with the next party congress, which will select the next generation of leaders, less than two years away.''

The plane crash was the second for Laos in less than a year. In October, a Lao Airlines ATR-72 turboprop crashed during a heavy storm as it approached Pakse Airport in southern Laos, killing all 49 people on board.