Woman Dies in Virgin Islands Seaplane Crash : 1 Dead, 12 Hurt in Virgin Is. Seaplane Crash

A seaplane with 15 people aboard crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff today, killing a Virgin Islands woman and injuring 12 people, officials said.

The plane took off from the water near the island of St. Croix. Witnesses said it crashed about half a mile away near Long Reef after listing heavily to one side.

Authorities said a St. Croix woman in her 30s was killed. They did not release her name.

Two passengers were undergoing surgery at St. Croix Hospital, said Dr. Howard King, who headed an emergency command post at the hospital. He said one of the passengers suffered abdominal injuries and the other had head wounds.

Ten others were being treated for less severe injuries, he said.

Two people who originally were reported missing were rescued unharmed, officials said.

The nationalities of the passengers were not known.

The plane was en route to the nearby island of St. Thomas when it crashed. It was operated by the Virgin Islands Seaplane Shuttle Inc., which flies between St. Croix, St. Thomas and Puerto Rico.

King said a strike of 9,000 government workers, including hundreds of nurses, did not hamper rescue efforts. The employees walked out Monday because the government owes them $30 million in wages.