A Myanmar passenger jet packed with foreign tourists crash-landed and burst into flames in a field in eastern Shan state, killing at least two people and injuring 11 others, officials said.
Black smoke was seen billowing from the charred wreckage of the Air Bagan aircraft, which came down on Tuesday near Heho airport – the gateway to the popular tourist destination of Inle Lake.
Long isolated from the world under decades of junta rule, Myanmar has seen an influx of tourists and business travellers in recent months following a raft of political reforms.
Fifty-one foreigners were among the 63 passengers on board the Christmas Day flight from Yangon via Mandalay, according to the information ministry.
The ageing Fokker-100 jet crashed while attempting to land in heavy fog, breaking its tail and catching fire, according to the ministry.
Air Bagan said a Burmese tour guide on board the plane was killed. Earlier the information ministry said an 11-year-old had died but the airline said it was not aware of any child fatality.