TV footage showed the front end of the plane had destroyed completely. The rest of the plane appeared largely intact, though it rested awkwardly on its tail.

The plane from the privately owned Aria Airlines was carrying 153 passengers and flew from the Iranian capital of Tehran to the north-eastern city of Mashhad, 1,000 kilometres away.

19 people have been injured in the crash, and all survivors have been evacuated from the scene, an official told state news agency.