A Chinese airline carrying 133 people on board has crashed, state media has reported.

The plane reportedly came down in the southern province of Guangxi, which then sparked a mountainside fire.

Broadcaster CCTV said the accident involving the China Eastern 737 plane occurred near the city of Wuzhou in Teng county.

According to the BBC, Flight MU5735 was scheduled to leave Kunming at 13:15 and was travelling to Guangzhou.

It said rescuers have been dispatched and currently there is no immediate word on the number of passengers who have been injured or passed away.

The twin-engine, single-aisle Boeing 737 is one of the world’s most popular planes for short and medium-haul flights.

It was not immediately clear which variant of 737 was involved in the accident. China Eastern operates multiple versions of the common aircraft, including the 737-800 and the 737 Max.

The 737 Max version was grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes. China’s aviation regulator cleared that plane to return to service late last year, making the country the last major market to do so.