Yemenia airways flight IY626 crashes into Indian Ocean off Comoros; 153 onboard

The flight crashed near the Comoros archipelago as it prepared to land in turbulent weather.

An official from the Yemeni state carrier said the plane had 142 passengers, including three infants, and 11 crew on board, Reuters reported.

"Bodies were seen floating on the surface of the water and a fuel slick was also spotted about 16 or 17 nautical miles from Moroni," said Mohammad Abdel Kader, a senior Yemeni aviation official.

The flight IY626, which originated from Paris, was flying from Sanaa, capital of Yemen, to Moroni, the capital of the main island of the Comoros archipelago via Djibouti.

This is the second major air disaster in the month of June. On 1 June an Air France flight AF447 crashed into Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 passengers and crews on board. The flight was on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

The flight IY626 carried number of French citizens. Many had taken a flight from Paris and changed to the Airbus 310-300 at Sanaa to Moroni.

Comoros islands have a strong French influence as a former colony of France. This is the second major air disaster for the French in one month and reports are emerging from aviation officials that 66 French nationals were onboard the flight. A special task force has been set up at the Charles de Gaulle airport where the flight originated.

French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau told a French radio, "They are saying the plane was making its approach, that it pulled out of the approach and then tried another approach that went wrong."

Related: Toddler rescued from Yemenia flight crash off Comoros