Multiple fatalities are being reported as a result of the ATR 72 crash in southern Laos, said to have occurred as the aircraft attempted to land at Pakse airport.

Lao Airlines' flight QV301 is the flight involved, according to Chinese state media. The carrier's timetable shows this service operates the Vientiane-Pakse route.

Some 40 occupants are said to have been on board the aircraft. ATR says it is "aware" of the event but has yet to confirm details.

Pakse airport has a single runway, designated 15/33, which runs parallel to the eastern shore of the Mekong river, into which the aircraft is said to have crashed.

Weather at the time is reported by Chinese media to have been poor but there is no immediate meteorological data available for Pakse.

Lao Airlines operates six ATR 72s including the new -600 version, according to Flightglobal's Ascend Online fleet database. The carrier's fleet also includes Airbus A320s and the Chinese-built Xian Aircraft MA60.

Source: FlightGlobal.com