The Antonov-made plane of Air Kasai that took off from the city of Tshikapa caught fire near Kamako, close to the Angolan border, said Anaclet Muswa, deputy administrator of the Tshikapa territory.

"The provisional toll is five dead and two survivors, namely the pilot and his assistant," he said, adding that the victims were "burned alive."

"It was a forced landing," Air Kasai's commercial department said without giving more details about the crash.

This is the second plane crash in the space of one month after that of a small UN carrier that crashed in Kamonia, injuring five people.

In September 2017, a military plane crashed in the capital Kinshasa, killing 12 people.