Kinshasa - At least 27 people were killed on Wednesday when an Antonov transport plane on a flight from the northeastern city of Goma to the south-eastern town of Kongolo crashed in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, military officials said.

"Twenty-seven people, 22 passengers and five crew members, were killed in the crash of the plane," said a military source who spoke on condition of anonymity from Goma.

The defense ministry and civil aviation authorities in Kinshasa confirmed the crash but were not able to give any further details.

The transport plane belonged to a private Congolese company Victoria Air and had been chartered by another group, Maniema Union. - Sapa-AFP