All 56 people on board a passenger plane which crashed in the early hours in south-western Turkey have died, the airline's chief executive has said. Initial reports from rescue helicopter teams found no survivors, said Tuncay Doganer, head of Atlasjet. The plane was carrying 49 passengers and seven crew on board, he said.

The plane was on a domestic flight from Istanbul to the town of Isparta when it disappeared from radar screens shortly before it was due to land. A local official said the pilot had already requested permission to land when contact was lost.

The wreckage was reported to have been discovered near the town of Keciborlu, in the mountainous Isparta province. A local reporter at the scene described luggage and debris strewn across a large area. Police have cordoned off the area. The cause of the crash was not clear. He ruled out adverse weather conditions as a possible cause, saying visibility was good and there were no strong winds.