JOHANNESBURG: Seventeen people were killed when an Angolan military aircraft crashed at an airport in Huambo on Wednesday, state news agency Angop reported, citing a statement from the country's armed forces command.

The army said in the statement that 11 army officers, including three generals, had died. It added that six civilians, including two women and two children, had also died.

Media reports had earlier said at least 30 people had died in the plane that carried 36 passengers.

The army said it had opened an inquiry to investigate the causes of the crash.

The accident took place at Albano Machado airport in Huambo, 550 km (330 miles) southwest of the capital Luanda, and which was last month re-opened following a three-month, dollar 60 million refurbishment.