Myanmar military plane with more than 100 people aboard vanishes after takeoff

A Myanmar military plane with more than 100 people aboard disappeared Wednesday. The plane, carrying soldiers and their family members, lost contact with air traffic controllers shortly after taking off from an air base in southern Myanmar. There were conflicting reports of exactly how many passengers were aboard the plane; Myanmar military spokesman Capt. Myat Min Oo told CNN there were 106 passengers and 14 crew members on board.

Navy ships and airplanes have been dispatched to find the missing plane, and the search is centered on the Andaman Sea. The New York Times reported that locals claimed the weather was bad, "with pounding rain typical of the monsoon season that is now enveloping Myanmar." However, an airport source told AFP that the weather was "fine" and they believe it was a "technical failure."

A tourism official told Al Jazeera that debris from the plane has been found 136 miles from the southeastern city of Dawei. Myanmar's navy is still searching.

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