A Tunisian air flight between Sicily, Italy, and Tunisia has crashed in the Mediterranean Sea. Conflicting reports estimate the number of dead between 7 (Xinhua) and 19 (EItB). 39 people were aboard the plane, many have survived.

No indication on what the cause of the crash was. Reports seem to suggest that the plane was suffering some sort of technical malfunction. However, a number of al Qaeda communiques specifically mention Italy as a target for terror operations. Developing...Reuters:

At least seven people were killed and 20 injured when their Tunisair flight from Italy to Tunisia made an emergency landing in the sea off Sicily on Saturday after reporting a technical fault, emergency services said.

The pilot of the plane, which had 39 people on board, made a distress call to Palermo airport at 3:24 p.m. (2:24 p.m. British time), requesting to make an emergency landing, an official at Italy's civil aviation authority told Reuters.

The plane landed about 12 miles (19 km) out at sea at 3:40 p.m. and shortly afterwards survivors were seen on the wings of the floating plane. A Tunisian government official told Reuters by telephone that 24 of 35 passengers, all Italians, survived the crash.

ANSA newswire said the death toll was at least nine.

Survivors brought to shore at Palermo were seen being helped out of rescue launches, many with bloody faces and ripped clothes, some yelling in pain. The port was milling with ambulances while helicopters buzzed overhead.

The twin-turboprop ATR 72 had taken off from Bari in southern Italy, heading for Djerba, Tunisia, police said.

ATRs are made by Avions de Transport Regional, based in France, and can carry up to 72 passengers. Earlier, emergency services had identified the plane as the smaller ATR 42 model.

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