A military plane carrying Laos Defence Minister Douangchay Phichit and some other senior government officials of the country today crashed in the northern part of the Asian nation.

Sources said that the plane crashed in the province of Xiangkhouang, nearly 500km (311 miles) from the capital Vientiane from where the plane took-off.

It is learned that governor of Vientiane and around 20 senior government officials were on board the ill-fated plane.

The government is yet to make any official statement on the number of casualties. The officials were going to attend an official ceremony in Xiangkhouang.

It may be recalled that civilian jet operated by Lao Airlines crashed last October into the Mekong River due to bad weather. The crash had killed all 49 people on board.

Laos is a landlocked country with a population of seven million people. It is one of the poorest nations of Asia.