Searchers spotted the wreckage of a plane carrying 46 people in the mountains of western Venezuela Friday. Firefighter Sgt. Jhonny Paz said officials believe there are no survivors and are sending a helicopter back to the zone after a refueling stop. "The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically pulverized," he told the Venezuelan television station Globovision.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Rescue teams climbed into the mountains of southwestern Venezuela on Friday in search of a plane that disappeared with 46 people aboard. Officials feared the worst after residents reported hearing a thunderous crash in the area.

The flight was reported missing 30 minutes after takeoff on Thursday from the city of Merida. The rescue crews were headed to the mountainous area of Collado del Condor, at an altitude of about 13,000 feet.

Residents in the area reported by phone "that they heard a great crash," said Noel Marquez, the emergency management director in Merida state.

The twin-engine plane, owned by Venezuelan airline Santa Barbara, failed to contact control towers in two cities as expected after it took off en route to Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas, said Gen. Antonio Rivero, Venezuela's emergency management director.

"There is no eyewitness who gives the location of the aircraft, and the search so far has not been successful in the areas where initially it was reported by phone that the aircraft could presumably be found," Rivero said in a statement Friday.

Relatives and friends of those on board gathered in tears, some of them embracing, at Simon Bolivar International Airport as they awaited word from authorities.

Santa Barbara is a small airline that covers domestic routes in Venezuela.

The French-made ATR 42-300 carrying 43 passengers and three crew members took off from Merida's airport at 4:59 p.m., officials said. The duration of the flight was to have been an hour and 45 minutes.

The weather was normal for Merida on Thursday, with some areas sunny and fog at higher elevations, said Lt. Luis Uzcategui of the Merida fire department.

"In that mountainous area there always tends to be more fog due to the altitude," Uzcategui said.

The area where the plane disappeared is about 400 miles southwest of Caracas.

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Associated Press writer Sandra Sierra contributed to this report.