Moscow, Nov 17 (IANS): A passenger plane has crashed Sunday at an airport in the Russian city of Kazan, killing at least 50 people, officials say.

The Boeing 737 had taken off from Moscow, and was reportedly trying to land but exploded on impact, reports BBC.

Russian officials told media there were no survivors.

The plane belonged to Tatarstan Airlines, and crashed about 7.20 p.m. local time (1520 GMT) on Sunday, reports said.

The Emergencies Ministry said there were 44 passengers and six crew members on the flight.

There were no immediate indications of what may have led to the crash, but reports said the pilot had already tried to land twice before - and crashed on the third attempt.

The airport in Kazan - the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan - has been closed since the accident.

The BBC's Daniel Sandford, in Moscow, says that although some of Russia's biggest airlines now have very good reputations, frequent crashes by smaller operators mean the country has one of the worst air safety records in the world.