ACCRA - A cargo plane crashed in Ghana's capital Accra on Saturday evening and slammed into a minivan loaded with passengers, killing at least 10 people, airport officials said.

The plane hit a mini-bus outside the El Wak Stadium, less than 10 km from the Kotoka International Airport when it was trying to touch down at the airport, Xinhua correspondents learnt.

Flight DHV III (Allied Air Cargo Aircraft) operating from Lagos of Nigeria to Accra overshot the runway on landing at 7:10 p.m., said managing director of Ghana Airport Company Doreen Owusu Fianko. Four member crew survived and are receiving treatment at airport clinic, Fianko said.

The Boeing 727-200 aircraft collided with a mini van, resulting in 10 confirmed fatalities, Fianko said, adding the bodies are placed at morgue of 37 Military Hospital. The Allied Air Cargo is believed to be owned by a Nigerian company. It has no dangerous goods.

It remains unknown how many passengers were on the minibus. Witnesses said an estimated number of 27 people were on board the bus.

However, one military soldier who is unwilling to be named at the scene told Xinhua that there are 24 people in the passenger bus which started from 37 military Lary Park station and that all them died in the accident.    

The reason why the plane was crashed is not clear, but on Saturday it was raining in Accra, and the visibility was not good.

Ambulances are at the scene which is cordoned off by the police. Emergency teams on the ground include Ghana Fire Service, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police, National Security, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and others.

Operations at the airport are normal with all flights on schedule, Fianko said.

Ghana's vice president John Mahama told media at the scene that there is not anything causing panic. He said one team has been formed to investigate the incident. "No early conclusions should be drawn," he said.

"We should allow investigations to arrive at the actual cause of the accident. But I can assure Ghanaians that the situation is under control," he said.

He also assured the international community that business at the airport would continue smoothly.