UNITED NATIONS, June 11 (Xinhua) -- UN officials in Sudan expressed their sorrow over a plane crash at the international airport in the capital, Khartoum, that has supposedly killed more than 20 people, the United Nations said on its website Wednesday.

    Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, the UN secretary-general's special representative in Sudan, issued a statement extending his deepest condolences to the government and the Sudanese people following the accident.

    "The bereaved families are in our thoughts and prayers at this sad time," said Qazi, who is also head of the UN Mission in Sudan.

    The hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force operating in western Sudan's Darfur region also released a similar statement from El Fasher, the mission headquarters.

    "Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones and for those injured in this dreadful plane crash."

    A senior Sudanese official said some 20 passengers went missing while other passengers and all crew members were rescued in the plane crash Tuesday evening.

    The plane, an Airbus 310, had been scheduled to arrive at Khartoum on Tuesday afternoon but was forced to fly to Sudan Port due to bad weather condition in the Sudanese capital.