Indonesian plane crashes at sea with 27 on board

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An Indonesian passenger plane crashed into the sea on Saturday near the eastern island of Papua with 27 people on board, a transport ministry spokesman said.

"A MA-60 aircraft crashed into the sea, some 500 metres away from the airstrip," before its intended landing, Bambang Ervan told AFP, adding that the condition of the passengers was unknown.

"When the accident happened, the weather was bad with limited visibility," he added.

There were 21 passengers - including three children - and six crew on board the twin turbo-prop plane which took off from Sorong city for Kaimana district in West Papua province, the spokesman said.

The vast Indonesian archipelago relies heavily on air transport and has one of Asia's worst air safety records.