M. Stavros, general director of the Hewa Bora Airways which operated the crashed aircraft, said that at least 72 people have died so far in the tragedy.

About 112 passengers and crew were on board when the crash landing occurred. Media reports have said earlier that at least 53 survivors had been pulled from the wreckage of the Boeing 727.

However, DR Congo's transport ministry was quoted in reports as saying the death toll reached 127, with 51 people surviving the tragedy. The ministry said number of people onboard had been underestimated.

The plane crashed into forests as the pilot tried to land amid stormy weather but didn't get onto the runway, according to the reports.

The flight, operated by Hewa Bora Airways, was flying its regular route from Kinshasa to Kisangani and Goma.

Plane crashes in DR Congo are not uncommon. In April, a UN twin jet commuter type aircraft crashed while trying to land in the Kinshasa, killing 32 people.

Last year, another plane flown by the Belgian head of a local airline killed at least 20 passengers in its crash in western DR Congo.