South Sudan plane crash 'kills 41'

A crew member and child on board the aircraft are believed to have survived the crash

People gather at the site where the cargo plane crashed (CHARLES LOMODONG/AFP/Getty Images)

A plane has crashed in South Sudan, reportedly killing at least 41 people who were on board and on the ground.

The Russian-built cargo plane had taken off from the international airport in the country's capital, Juba, on Wednesday morning. It reportedly crashed around 800m from the runway, on the banks of the White Nile river.

According to an account given to Reuters from a police officer, 41 people died. A witness said they saw the same number of bodies at the site of the wreckage.

Ateny Wek Ateny, a presidential spokesman, said a crew member and a child on board the plane had survived the crash.

The total number of people on the aircraft has yet to be confirmed, but Mr Ateny believed there may have been around 20 individuals including crew members.

"We don't know the number of people that were killed on the ground," said Mr Ateny, adding the plane had crashed close to where some fishermen had been working.

The aircraft had been headed for the Paloch oil fields in Upper Nile state.

Additional reporting by agencies