One of the Sunbird Aviation aircraft. Photo: Supplied

Twelve people are thought to be dead after a plane crash in Papua New Guinea. 

Vasil Wifo, a former employee of the two-aircraft company Sunbird Aviation, confirmed a plane had gone down.

"Twelve bodies are now in the morgue in Kiunga Hospital," he told Stuff.co.nz.

The pilot, who also died, was thought to be an Australian citizen.

Advertisement

He said the plane went down at about 3pm Papua New Guinea time, about 1km short of of the runway in on its way from Oksapmin, in the PNG Highlands.

"It's terrible news, everyone feels really low and really sad," Wifo said.

"It's something we don't expect to happen every day."

He said the civil aviation authority would undertake an investigation to confirm the cause of the crash.

A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "We are aware of reports that a Sunbird Aviation aircraft travelling from Oksapmin to Kiunga in Western Province, Papua New Guinea has crashed on approach to the airport at Kiunga.

"Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of the aircraft and their families," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"The Australian High Commission in Port Moresby is liaising closely with local authorities to determine whether Australians were on board the aircraft.

"We stand ready to provide consular support to victims and families of Australians who may be involved," the statement read.
 

More to come