The Airlines PNG Dash 8 aircraft crashed while flying from Lae to Madang on the South Pacific island nation’s north coast, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
The country’s Accident Investigation Commission spokesman, Sid O’Toole, said there were 32 people on board when the twin-propeller plane crashed 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Madang, ABC reported.
“There were reports of fire and there have been some fatalities,” O’Toole said.
He said there were survivors but it was not clear how many. ABC later reported unconfirmed reports of four survivors.
Police and ambulances had reached the crash site and investigators would travel there Friday, O’Toole said.
Phone calls to national police headquarters in Port Moresby and the Civil Aviation Authority went unanswered late Thursday.
