Police have launched criminal process in connection with plane crash off coast of Ventspils

RIGA - The State Police have started criminal proceedings in connection with the passenger plane disaster in the Baltic Sea near Ventspils, Madara Sersnova, representative of the Kurzeme Regional Police Department, told LETA.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated under the section of the Criminal Law on crimes against personal health. The human body parts found by the rescuers will be examined.

As reported, human body parts were found in the Baltic Sea before dark on Monday, which are probably from those who died in the passenger plane disaster, Latvian Navy public relations specialist Liva Veita told LETA.

The remains were taken to Ventspils and handed over to the Criminal Police.

Also, the Navy will start search operations with an underwater robot on Tuesday at the place where the plane crashed in the Baltic Sea on Sunday.

LETA also reported, a small plane crashed in the Baltic Sea near Ventspils Sunday evening, rescuers have so far not found a single survivor.

Rescuers so far have found 11 pieces of wreckage of the small passenger plane.

Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the plane belonged to a German family.

REUTERS reported that the Austrian-registered Cessna 551 aircraft was flying from Jerez in southern Spain. The plane was supposed to land in Cologne- Bonn airport on Sunday evening.

It turned twice, at Paris and Cologne, before heading straight out over the Baltic, passing near the Swedish island of Gotland. At 8:37 p.m. it was listed on the flight tracker as rapidly losing speed and altitude.