Fears for West Aussies on missing plane FRAN RIMROD June 20,...

Fears for West Aussies on missing plane FRAN RIMROD
June 20, 2010 - 4:44PM

There are grave fears that West Australians mining executives are on board a plane with nine passengers which has been reported missing in Central West Africa.

WA iron ore company Sundance Resources had booked the plane for its employees to fly from Yaound in the republic of Cameroon to Yangadou in the republic of Congo while visiting the companys iron ore project there.

Board members from West Australian-based iron ore miner Sundance Resources have been in Cameroon in the past few days speaking with officials about the Mballa project.

The plane was reported missing after failing to reach the airport in Yangadou on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that six of the nine passengers were Australian.

Sundance Resources media spokeswoman Felicity Nuttall said she could not confirm at this stage if and how many of the passengers on the flight were from Western Australia.

She said the company was still in the process of notifying the families of the passengers.

A comprehensive air and ground search coordinated by the Cameroon military will commence today.

Local authorities in Cameroon and the Congo as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australias diplomatic representatives were immediately notified, Ms Nuttall said.

A Congolese aircraft would also be involved in the search.

Sundance's chief focus is its Mbalam ore project in Cameroon, potentially worth billions over its lifetime.

DFAT said the high commissioner designate to Abuja is in Cameroon and is "managing the government's response on the ground".

"One additional official from our high commission in Abuja, plus a specialist consular officer based in the Middle East, will travel to Cameroon as soon as is possible to support the government's response," a spokeswoman said.

"The specialist consular officer will bring additional communications equipment to support the DFAT team on the ground in Cameroon."