Air traffic control lost radio contact with the plane, after which it was eventually located in a forest near Naga Eboko, about 150 kilometers northeast of the capital Yaoundé, the ministry said. The teams are currently looking at whether it is possible to save people.
The plane was chartered by the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO), which is responsible for maintaining and upholding a pipeline between Cameroon and neighboring Chad.
The last major air disaster in Cameroon dates from the night of 4 to 5 May 2007, when a Boeing 737-800 crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff. There were 114 victims, including 34 Cameroonians. Since then, only minor plane crashes involving small passenger planes or helicopters have occurred in Cameroon.