The twin-engine King Air A-100 private plane went down in freezing rain and light snow near the Eveleth-Virginia Municipal Airport, about 175 miles north of Minneapolis. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Wellstone, a 58-year-old former college professor and one of the foremost liberals in the US Congress, was on his way to the funeral of the father of a state lawmaker.

All eight people aboard the 11-seat small plane were killed, said Greg Martin, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Wellstone was killed just 11 days before Election Day on Nov. 5and the accident threw the battle for the US Senate into an uncharted territory. Before Friday, Democrats held control of the US Senate by a single seat.

Wellstone was up against Republican Norm Coleman, a former mayor of St. Paul and President Bush's choice to challenge the two-term incumbent in Minnesota.

Minnesota state law allows for the governor to fill a vacant Senate seat, but also allows for the party to appoint a replacement in the event of a death of a nominee. Democratic Party spokesman of Minnesota state Bill Amberg said that he was confident the party would be allowed to offer a replacement.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2002)