Dozens feared dead after jet crashes

Dozens of people are feared dead after a passenger plane crashed at an airport in Wau, South Sudan.

The South Sudanese National Courier newspaper carried photos showing the burned-out wreck of the plane on the tarmac at Wau Airport.

Initial reports suggested as many as 44 people had died in the crash.

An aid worker near the scene of the crash said: "No one died but there are a number of injured people right now."

Forty-four passengers were on board the plane belonging to South Supreme Airlines, officials at the carrier told journalists.

"About 17 to 18 people injured in the incident were taken to hospital," James Dimo Deng, a journalist in Wau, said.

Photos from the scene show fire engines dousing the smouldering wreckage with water. One official said at least 14 people survived the crash, while a radio station in Juba reported nine people had been pulled out alive and rushed to hospital. A local official told the BBC the plane was coming from the capital, Juba.

"The weather is not good. Visibility was not good up to now and (the plane) was landing from the east to west then it just crashed (off) the runway. The pilot I think was not seeing the runway well," said Paul Charles, an engineer at Wau airport.

Images circulating on social media showed thick black smoke billowing from the aircraft, which was completely burned out except for the tail, clearly bearing the insignia of local carrier South Supreme Airlines.