A Cuban passenger plane has crashed in the centre of the country with 68 people on board.

The aircraft, belonging to the state-run Aerocaribbean airline, was flying from the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba to the capital Havana when it went down, state media report.

The passengers reportedly included 28 foreigners - including people from Latin American, Europe and Japan.

There is no word on the cause of the crash or on any survivors.

The French-built ATR twin turboprop crashed late on Thursday near the town of Guasimal in Santi Spiritus province, with 61 passengers and seven crew on board.

Media reports say foreign passengers included 17 Latin Americans, 10 Europeans and one Japanese person.

The twice-weekly flight had originated in Port-au-Prince in Haiti and stopped over in Santiago.

The pilot reported an emergency before contact was lost.

Emergency crews had to use bulldozers to cut through thick vegetation to reach the crash scene, Cuban media say.

Several bodies have been pulled from the wreckage, which an eyewitness described as "a ball of flame in the middle of the mountain".

Rescuers say they are searching the area for any survivors.

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