An official says at least 18 people have been killed when a small plane crashed in a remote part of South Sudan

A small aircraft carrying oil workers in South Sudan's Unity State crashed on takeoff from its oilfield airport on Wednesday, killing 20 people, the region's information minister said.

At least 20 people have been killed in a plane crash in the north of South Sudan, Unity state’s minister for information said. The aircraft came down near the oil fields in Unity state at about 10:30am (08:30 GMT) shortly after taking off for the capital, Juba, on Wednesday.