IANS

Paris, Jun 1: An Air France passenger jet with 231 people on board is missing after dropping off radar over the Atlantic off the Brazilian coast Monday.

Flight AF 447 departed Rio de Janeiro on Sunday at 7 p.m. and was expected in Paris on Monday at 11:15 a.m. (0915 GMT), a spokesman for Air France told Reuters.  

The plane had 216 passengers and 15 crew members on board, AFP quoted the company as saying. Reuters earlier put the number of crew at 12.

Air traffic control lost contact with the Airbus A330 at 0600 GMT after it took off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

A Brazilian Air Force spokesman told AP a search is under way near the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha and rescue mission was mounted after the jet failed to make regular radio contact.

"We are very worried," a Paris airport official told AFP. "The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected," he added. 

Airport authorities have set up a crisis cell at Charles de Gaulle.

Passenger list is expected to be released at around 1300 GMT, broadcaster NTV reported.