NAYPYIDAW- A military plane from Burma has reportedly disappeared with 116 people on board, according to the office of the army chief and an airport source.

“Communication was lost suddenly at about 1:35 pm (07:05 GMT) when it reached about 20 miles west of Dawei town,” the commander-in-chief’s office said in a statement, adding search and rescue was ongoing.

An airport source, who asked not to be named, said the plane was carrying 105 passengers and 11 crew, International media reported.

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

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

“Technical failure”

“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.

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.