Parts of a Burmese military plane have been found in the sea after it disappeared with more than 100 people on board.

A spokesperson for the chief of the country’s army said the aircraft went missing during a domestic flight on Wednesday.

“Communication was lost suddenly at about 1.35pm (8.05 BST) when it reached about 20 miles west of Dawei town,” read a statement posted on Facebook.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

Search and rescue operations involving ships and aircraft were ongoing in the Andaman Sea.

Officials said pieces of the aircraft, which was carrying more than a dozen children, had been found in the sea.

The plane left the southern coastal town of Myeik in the early afternoon and was bound for Yangon, the largest city in Burma.

It was declared missing after losing contact with air traffic control.

General Myat Min Oo said the Chinese-made Y-8 aircraft was carrying 90 passengers – mostly families of military personnel – and 14 crew members.

A source told AFP the weather in the region was fine at the time of the incident.

“We think it was a technical failure,” he added.

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Burma migrants abandoned at sea Show all 8 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Burma migrants abandoned at sea 1/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants swim to collect food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter after they jumped from a boat (R) drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 2/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants pass food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter to others aboard a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 3/8 Myanmar migrants A Rohingya migrant eats food dropped by a Thai army helicopter after he jumped to collect the supplies at sea from a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea. A boat crammed with scores of Rohingya migrants, including many young children, was found drifting in Thai waters, with passengers saying several people had died over the last few days 4/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants stand and sit on a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 5/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants stand and sit on a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 6/8 Myanmar migrants A Rohingya migrant eats food dropped by a Thai army helicopter after he jumped to collect supplies at sea from a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 7/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants bring back food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter after jumping to collect them at sea from a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 8/8 Myanmar migrants A Rohingya migrant woman holding a child cries as she stands on a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 1/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants swim to collect food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter after they jumped from a boat (R) drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 2/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants pass food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter to others aboard a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 3/8 Myanmar migrants A Rohingya migrant eats food dropped by a Thai army helicopter after he jumped to collect the supplies at sea from a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea. A boat crammed with scores of Rohingya migrants, including many young children, was found drifting in Thai waters, with passengers saying several people had died over the last few days 4/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants stand and sit on a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 5/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants stand and sit on a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 6/8 Myanmar migrants A Rohingya migrant eats food dropped by a Thai army helicopter after he jumped to collect supplies at sea from a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 7/8 Myanmar migrants Rohingya migrants bring back food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter after jumping to collect them at sea from a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea 8/8 Myanmar migrants A Rohingya migrant woman holding a child cries as she stands on a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea

Another Burmese military plane crashed shortly after taking off from Naypyidaw airport in February last year.

Four military personnel were killed and one was seriously injured after the small air force propeller plane went down.

Burma, a former British colony that was under military rule until 2011, is in the grip of a number of sectarian conflicts including in Kachin, Rakhine state and Kokang.

The government headed by former political prisoner Aung San Suu Sky has denied supporting ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, provoking an ongoing refugee crisis.

Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences

Additional reporting by Reuters</s>Most people on the plane were civilians (Picture: Getty)

A plane has vanished with 105 people on board, according to reports.

The plane left the southern coastal town of Myeik in the early afternoon and was bound for Myanmar’s largest city of Yangon, but it lost contact about 20 miles west of the town of Dawei and has been declared missing, the military said.

Vegan activist 'killed more than 90 newborn rabbits' during rescue mission

The commander-in-chief’s office said the search and rescue was ongoing.

An airport source, who asked not to be named, said the plane was carrying 105 people.

Ships and planes have been scrambled to search for the plane, which was flying over the Andaman Sea when it went missing, the statement added.

The passengers were believed to mainly be family members of military men based in the coastal region.

‘We think it was a technical failure. Weather is fine there,’ the source told AFP, asking not to be named, adding there was no news of the plane so far.

Advertisement

Advertisement

A spokesman said: ‘Communication was lost suddenly at about 1:35 pm (07:05 GMT) when it reached about 20 miles west of Dawei town.’

This is a breaking news story and is being updated with more information as we receive it.</s>A Myanmar military flight is missing with 120 people on board, a Myanmar military spokesman told CNN on Wednesday.

Crews are searching for the plane in the Andaman Sea -- south and west of Myanmar.

Capt. Myat Min Oo said 106 passengers and 14 crew members were on the flight.

Myanmar's Armed Forces dispatched six Navy ships and three airplanes as part of the search and rescue operation.</s>A Myanmar Air Force Shaanxi Y-8 transport aircraft similar to the aircraft carrying over 100 people. Pic/AFP

Pieces of a Myanmar military plane, which went missing with more than 100 soldiers and family members aboard were found in the Andaman Sea yesterday, a local official said.

"Now they have found pieces of the damaged plane in the sea 136 miles (218 km) away from Dawei city," said Naing Lin Zaw, a tourism official in Myeik. The commander in chief's office said the plane lost contact at about 1.35 pm (local time) off Myanmar's southern coast. There was conflicting information about the number of people on board. Giving an updated figure, the office said 106 passengers were on board - soldiers and family members - along with 14 crew. More than a dozen of those on board were children.

Tragedy of actress Shikha Joshi who was molested and killed herself Download the new mid-day android app to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go https://goo.gl/8Xlcvr</s>Rescue teams were on Thursday making the grim discovery of bodies and aircraft parts after a Chinese made plane went missing off the southern coast of Myanmar with at least 120 people on board.

Four children were among the ten bodies which have been found by navy and civilian ships after the Shaanxi Y-8-200F aircraft vanished on Wednesday, Myanmar's military said on Thursday. Other reports said 20 bodies have already been brought ashore.

The military transport plane, which disappeared en route from Myeik to Myanmar s largest city, Yangon, was carrying 35 soldiers and their families, which included 15 children, Reuters news agency said.

Reuters said the total number of passengers was 122, which included 14 crew members, while other reports said 120 people were on the plane.

The plane lost contact about half and hour after takeoff while flying at 18,000 feet (5,485 metres) over the Andaman Sea, the military said.</s>A military aircraft with 120 passengers and crew on board has gone missing off the coast of Myanmar.

The Chinese-made Y-8F-200 took off from the southern coastal town of Myeik at 1.06pm local time on Wednesday and was heading to Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon.

It was on a regular, weekly flight that takes in several coastal towns.

Those on board included 106 soldiers and family members and 14 crew, the military said.

Myanmar’s military said it lost contact while flying at 18,000ft over the Andaman Sea, 29 minutes after take off.

A statement on the Facebook page of military commander Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the plane was believed to have been about 20 miles (32km) to the west of Dawei when it went missing.

Six navy ships and three military planes were mobilised to look for it, with the hunt continuing as darkness fell.

A civil aviation official at Myeik airport, Kyaw Kyaw Htey, said: “We don’t know what exactly happened to this plane after the loss of contact,” adding that the weather at take-off had been “normal”, with good visibility.

The plane, with a maximum capacity of 200, was bought in March 2016 and had 809 flying hours.

There were 2.4 tons of supplies on board, the military said.</s>YANGON — Ships and planes were scouring the coast of southern Myanmar on Wednesday after a military aircraft vanished over the Andaman Sea with 120 soldiers, family members and crew on board, the army and civil aviation officials said.

The Chinese-made Y-8-200F transport plane left the coastal town of Myeik at 1:06 p.m local time (2:36 a.m. ET), heading north to Myanmar's largest city of Yangon on a regular weekly military flight that stops at several coastal towns along the way, officials said.

The plane lost contact 29 minutes after take-off while flying at 18,000 feet over the sea, about 43 miles west of the town of Dawei, the military said.

"We don't know what exactly happened to this plane after the loss of contact," said Kyaw Kyaw Htey, a civil aviation official at Myeik airport.

Civil aviation authorities initially said there were 105 people onboard. The military later said those on board included 106 soldiers and their family members and 14 crew. The maximum capacity of the aircraft was 200 people, said a military officer.

It is monsoon season in Myanmar, but Kyaw Kyaw Htey said the weather had been "normal" with good visibility when the plane took off.

The military launched a search soon after the plane went missing, mobilizing six navy ships and three military planes, said the army in a news release. The search continued as darkness fell.

Some 300-400 people, including firefighters, medics, emergency and welfare officials, gathered on the shore near the town of Launglon, close to the area where the navy search was concentrated, said Naing Myo Thwin, the chairman of the local funeral association, from the scene.

"We haven't seen any trace of the plane yet," Naing Myo Thwin told Reuters by telephone. He doubles as a member of the local hospital's emergency team.

Aung Win, a local police officer also speaking from the scene by telephone, confirmed that there were a large number of people gathered on the beach. He said because they had not found any trace of the plane they were moving to other areas along the shore.

The aircraft was bought in March 2016 and had a total of 809 flying hours. It was carrying 2.4 tons of supplies, the military said.

Aircraft incidents, both civilian and military, are not uncommon in the Southeast Asian country.

A military helicopter crashed in June last year in central Myanmar, killing three military personnel on board.

Five military personnel were killed last February after an air force aircraft crashed in the country’s capital Naypyitaw, according to media reports.

Two people were killed and 11 injured after a small plane crashed in central Myanmar in 2012.</s>YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A military transport plane with 120 people on board went missing today on a flight from southern Myanmar to Yangon, a military spokesman said.

There were fears it may have crashed into the ocean, since its route would have taken it over the Andaman Sea.

Gen. Myat Min Oo said the Chinese-made Y-8 turboprop aircraft was carrying 106 passengers – mostly families of military personnel – and 14 crew members when it went missing this afternoon. In an earlier statement, the number of passengers was said to be 90. It is not unusual for such flights to carry civilians to offset transportation costs for military families stationed in the somewhat remote south.

"The military plane went missing and lost contact after it took off from Myeik, and now the military has started a sea and air search with naval ships and military aircraft and is preparing for rescue operations," he said.

It was raining at the time, but not heavily, he said.

Myeik, also known as Mergui, is a city in southeastern Myanmar on the Andaman coast.

An announcement posted on the Facebook page of the commander of the military, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, said the flight took off from Myeik at 1:06 p.m. and contact with it was lost at 1:35 p.m., when it was believed to be about 32 kilometers (20 miles) to the west of Dawei, formerly known as Tavoy.</s>A Myanmar army aircraft with 120 people on board, including soldiers, family members and aircraft staff, went missing on Wednesday.

The plane was flying from a southern town to Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma.

Military and civil aviation officials said the Chinese-made Shaanxi Y-8-200F transport plane left the coastal town of Myeik on a regular weekly flight that visits several coastal towns.

The plane lost contact 29 minutes after take off while flying at about 6,000m over the Andaman Sea, about 70km west of the town of Dawei, the military said.

“We don’t know what exactly happened to this plane after the loss of contact,” said Kyaw Kyaw Htey, a civil aviation official at Myeik airport. Civil aviation authorities initially said there were 105 people onboard.

The military later said those on board included 106 soldiers and family members and 14 aircraft staff. The maximum capacity of the aircraft is 200 people, said a military officer.

Officials said the weather had been “normal” with good visibility when the plane took off.

The military launched the search soon after the plane went missing, mobilising six navy ships and three military planes.

The search went on as darkness fell.

The plane was bought in March 2016 and had a total of 809 flying hours. It was carrying 2.4 tons of supplies, the military said.</s>Wreckage of a Myanmar military plane which went missing with more than 100 soldiers and family members aboard were found in the Andaman Sea yesterday evening.

According to reports, the aircraft carrying more than 100 people was flying over the Andaman Sea when it lost contact with air traffic control.

Navy ships and aircraft had been searching since Wednesday afternoon when the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers.

More than a dozen children were believed to be among the passengers on the plane travelling from the southern city of Myeik to Yangon.

“Now they have found pieces of the damaged plane in the sea 136 miles (218 km) away from Dawei city,” said Naing Lin Zaw, a tourism official in Myeik, adding the navy was still searching the sea.

An air force source confirmed to AFP that a navy search and rescue ship had found pieces of the plane in the sea an hour’s flight south of Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital.

The commander in chief’s office said the plane lost contact at about 1:35 pm (07:05 GMT) off Myanmar’s southern coast.

There were however, conflicting information about the number of people on board While General Myat Min Oo had earlier said the Chinese-made Y-8 aircraft was carrying 90 passengers – mostly families of military personnel – and 14 crew members when it went missing.

Giving an updated figure, the commander in chief’s office said 106 passengers were on board – soldiers and family members – along with 14 crew.

Four naval ships and two air force planes were sent to search for the plane, which was flying at an altitude of more than 18,000 feet (5,486 metres).

It is monsoon season in Myanmar but there were no reports of bad weather at the time the plane went missing.

The plane was a Y-8F-200 four-engine turboprop, a Chinese-made model still commonly used by Myanmar’s military for transporting cargo.

The army said it was delivered in March last year and had logged 809 flying hours.

The former military junta bought many of the aircraft from Myanmar’s giant neighbour during their 50 years of isolated rule, when they were squeezed by Western sanctions.

A former executive at the aviation ministry said many of the aircraft in Myanmar’s fleet were old and decrepit.

The post Wreckage Of Myanmar Military Plane Found In Sea appeared first on leadership.ng.

This post was syndicated from leadership.ng. Click here to read the full text on the original website.

Do you something awesome to share with the world? Click here to share

Do you ever have any question about anything you wish to ask and get answer? Click here to ask

Also, Like us on facebook
A military aircraft with 120 people onboard crashes into the Andaman Sea off the coast of Myanmar.