A passenger plane crashed today on the outskirts of the central Pakistan city of Multan, killing all 45 people on board, the local police chief said.

Senior ranking members of the military and judiciary are believed to have been among the passengers.

"Everyone is dead. I am standing at the site," Iftikhar Babar, a police spokesman, told the Reuters news agency.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight PK 688, en route for Lahore before flying on to Islamabad, crashed three minutes after take-off from Multan airport, said Hasan Jaffery, a PIA spokesman. The Fokker plane was carrying 41 passengers and four crew.

The plane, laden with fuel, crashed near a state primary school, around three km (two miles) from the airport. The aircraft burst into flames on impact, and the bodies of the dead are said to be badly charred.

Rescue workers from the privately run relief foundation Edhi, the Civil Aviation Authority and the army were said to be taking part in the rescue operation.

"There are few bodies which are identifiable," said Shahid Pervez, a civil defence official, as rescue workers loaded the corpses into ambulances.

Mr Babab quoted some witnesses as saying they saw flames coming from the aircraft shortly after it took off, and it appeared to be tilting to the right.

"I saw the plane diving downwards. It hit electricity wires and then crashed after hitting a wall of an orchard," said Mohammad Akram, a farmer who was working his fields.

President Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz, the Prime Minister, both expressed grief over the crash, according to state-run Pakistan Television. Mr Aziz also ordered an inquiry.

In February, 2003, a Fokker F-27 turboprop crashed in northwestern Pakistan killing Mushaf Ali Mir, the Pakistan Air Force Air Chief Marshal, his wife and 15 others.

Mr Jaffery said PIA was still gathering information to help find out why the plane crashed.

PIA has seven other Fokkers in its fleet. The aircraft that crashed was bought four decades ago. Airworthiness certificates for aircraft are issued following pre-flight checks.

Late last year, PIA ordered seven new ATR42-500 planes from French company Avions de Transport Regional to replace its Fokkers.

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