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A TransAsia Airways plane has crashed into a river near the capital, Taipei, after clipping a bridge shortly after take-off, the BBC reported.

More than 50 people were onboard the domestic flight, and a number of people were reportedly injured.

Some reports said there were several people trapped inside the plane in need of rescue.

Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) showed a picture of a plane almost submerged in the Keelung river.

The ATR-72 had just taken off from Taipei Songshan Airport and was headed to the outlying Kinmen island, just off the coast of south-east China, CNA said.

CNA quoted a government spokesman as saying the plane crashed after hitting an elevated bridge.

Local channel ETTV showed footage of the plane banking sharply and clipping the bridge before crashing into the river.

Television images showed rescuers standing on large sections of broken wreckage trying to pull passengers out of the plane with ropes.

Those that were rescued were helped into dinghies and taken to shore.

In July last year 48 people died when a TransAsia Airways plane crashed amid stormy weather in Taiwan's Penghu archipelago.