Libyan plane carrying food crashes near N'Djamena

N'DJAMENA, Apr 23 (Reuters) A Libyan cargo plane carrying humanitarian food aid crashed on the Chad-Cameroon border today while attempting to land at the Chadian capital N'Djamena, killing all six people on board, officials said.

''It was a Russian-made Antonov plane travelling from Libya to Chad. There were six persons on board. All the six died,'' a local government official from Cameroon's northern Logone-Chari region told Reuters.

The dead included the plane's Ukranian pilot and at least two Libyan nationals, the official said. The other victims were not immediately identified.

Chadian aviation officials said the plane aborted its first attempt to land at N'Djamena airport after apparently detecting a fault and then crashed in a field on the bank of the Chari river, opposite N'Djamena, while making a second attempt.

Libyan Airlines Company sources said the cargo plane had been hired by the company from a foreign firm to transport humanitarian assistance. They attributed the accident to ''technical reasons'' but gave no more details.

A Reuters Television cameraman who visited the crash site saw bodies covered in blue plastic sheets.

Chadian officials said the plane was carrying vegetable oil and tinned food, which Libya's foreign ministry said was part of a Libyan humanitarian aid programme.

The crash occurred 10 days after rebels attacked N'Djamena in a raid Chad said was backed by neighbouring Sudan. Khartoum denies the charges.

REUTERS SRS PM1833