BRUSSELS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A military plane crashed shortly after take-off from an airbase east of Brussels on Friday, killing two people on board, said the Belgian Defense Ministry.

    The tragedy occurred at around 09:45 a.m. (0745 GMT) at the Goetsenhoven airbase, 50 km east of Brussels.

    The two occupants, the pilot and a glider instructor, were killed. The causes of the accident are yet to be established.

    The aircraft, which was used to tow gliders, hit a parking lot near hangars after take-off and diverted to a field where it crashed and caught fire.