As many as 44 people are feared dead after a plane crash landed and split into pieces at an airport in South Sudan.

UPDATE: All 45 occupants were rescued alive, 17 or 18 have been taken to local hospitals with injuries.

Passengers were pulled from the burning wreckage after the plane belonging to South Supreme Airlines crashed at the north-eastern town of Wau on Monday.

Witnesses said smoke was seen coming from the back of the plane before it crashed and burst into flames.

Photos showed the scorched pieces of the plane as the crash site was surrounded by emergency services, airport personnel and UN peacekeepers.

Smoke filled the air as firefighters arrived at the scene of the air disaster and poured water on the smouldering remains.

Everyone on board was feared dead, local media reported, but there were claims in conflicting reports that some passengers had survived.

#WAU: Further Photos of South Supreme Airlines Plane Crash. 44 feared dead. #SouthSudan #SSudan pic.twitter.com/2VQzhZTyM9

— The National Courier (@Nation_Courier) March 20, 2017

It is understood that the doomed flight had originated from the airport in Juba, the country’s capital.