CARACAS/MARACAIBO, Sept 26 (Reuters) - At least two

people died and four were declared missing following the sinking

of an oil barge operated by a contractor of Venezuelan state-run

energy company PDVSA at Lake Maracaibo, PDVSA said on Thursday.

Sources and an internal report from the company had

indicated four fatalities from the accident earlier on Thursday.

But PDVSA said rescue work to find the four missing people has

not finished.

"PDVSA reports the unfortunate sinking of barge Chantase

G of company SOSCA, provider of oil well maintenance services,

in Lake Maracaibo due to the poor weather conditions affecting

the area," the company said in a release.

Another 19 people were successfully rescued on Thursday

morning at the accident site, the report said.

Incidents involving barges that carry Venezuelan oil and

fuel between domestic ports and to the Caribbean have become

frequent. A large fuel oil spill near Tobago from a capsized

barge navigating from Venezuela hit several Caribbean nations in

March.