Pakistani Fokker F-27 twin-engine passenger plane which was crashed in Multan, Pakistan, Monday, July 10, 2006

A Pakistan International Airlines plane has crashed shortly after take off - killing all 45 people on board. 

The airline's chief executive, Farooq Shah, says all 45 people on board the passenger plane were killed in Monday's crash in central Pakistan.

He says the plane went down just a few minutes after taking off from the airport in Multan.

The domestic flight, en route to Lahore in eastern Pakistan, is believed to have lost radio contact with the control tower before going down.

The wreckage was located in an open field just a few kilometers from the airport.

Witnesses say the plane appeared to be spinning out of control just before it slammed into the ground and burst into flames.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.