Eight feared dead in Afghanistan plane crash

Eight people are feared dead after a civilian plane carrying military cargo crashed soon after take off from a US airbase in Afghanistan.

Afghan troops combing the crash scene on a mountain side east of Kabul found five charred bodies on Wednesday morning.

The place crashed at about 8pm (4.30pm BST) on Tuesday soon after take off from Bagram air field as it flew to Kabul.

The three other crew on the L-100 Hercules aircraft, which is the civilian equivalent of the four-propeller C-130 military transport, are feared dead.

The plane was owned by United Arab Emirates-based TransAfrik and was under contract by the United States-based company National Air Cargo.

At least seven of the dead are believed to be foreigners, though their nationalities were not immediately known.

A statement from National Air Cargo said: "The company has confirmed that a TransAfrik L-100 aircraft flying from Bagram to Kabul went down shortly before 8pm.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the crew and their families."

Mohammad Yaqub Rassuli, director of Kabul airport said the aircraft was carrying supplies for Nato forces.

In May, a plane from Afghanistan's Pamir Airways crashed into a remote Hindu Kush mountain region near Kabul, killing 43 passengers and crew.

Before that the last major air crash was in 2005 when a Boeing 737 operated by Afghan carrier Kam Air crashed in a snowstorm, killing 104 passengers and crew.