A military transport plane with 120 people on board went missing on Wednesday while flying from southern Burma to Yangon, said media reports citing a military spokesperson.

There were fears it may have crashed into the ocean, since its route would have taken it over the Andaman Sea. The plane was on its way to Yangon but lost communication over the Andaman Sea.

General Myat Min Oo said the Chinese-made Y-8 turboprop aircraft was carrying 106 passengers - mostly families of military personnel - and 14 crew members when it went missing today (June 7) afternoon. In an earlier statement, the number of passengers was said to be 90, reported AP.

"The military plane Y-8 vanished about 1:35 p.m. local time in the southern part of the country near Yangon after it took off from Myeik, and now the military has started a sea and air search with naval ships and military aircraft and is preparing for rescue operations," he said.

The plane left the southern coastal town of Myeik in the early afternoon and was bound for Yangon,the largest city in Burma, it stated.

Four naval ships and two military aircraft have been searching for the plane since 2pm, he added.