ABIDJAN (AFP, REUTERS) - Four people were killed on Saturday (Oct 14) when a plane crashed into the sea near the international airport in
Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan. Security sources said six others were believed to have been injured in the crash of the Antonov aircraft which police said had 10 people on board.

Four French citizens were among the six injured, said Ivorian Security Minister.

Firefighters and rescue divers removed two bodies from the propeller-engine cargo plane, which had broken into several pieces and come to rest near the beach. Two other bodies were visible in the wreckage, a witness said.

The crash occurred during a storm with heavy rain and lightning and rescuers were hampered by rough seas.

Though Abidjan's airport is located in a heavily populated area, it did not appear there were any victims on the ground.

The airport in Abidjan, a city of around 5 million people, is a busy regional transportation hub. It is also used by the French military which operates a logistics base there in support of an anti-Islamist militant operation in West Africa's Sahel region.