Myanmar: Passenger jet crash kills two

Two people were killed and 11 injured when a passenger jet packed with Christmas tourists crash-landed on a road in central Myanmar's eastern Shan state.

The Air Bagan plane, which was carrying 65 passengers and six crew members on a flight from Rangoon, landed about three kilometers from Heho airport, Press Associated reported.

According to Voice of America, the dead included an 11-year-old passenger and a Burmese citizen who was riding a motorcycle on the road.

The exact cause of the crash is still unknown, but according to government officials, bad weather in the region may have prompted the pilot to land the plane on the road.

Witnesses saw the rear of the plane breaking apart. It caught fire upon impact, BBC News reported.

Air Bagan is a privately owned domestic carrier in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma. The airline operated two Fokker-100 jets, a plane no longer being manufactured.

BBC News reported that diplomats have often expressed concerns about the safety of Myanmar's domestic airlines, which have been unable to modernize their fleets because of sanctions. Tourists visiting the coutnry has rapidly increased over the last year, and has placed a strain on those airlines.