The death toll after a TransAsia Airways turboprop plane crashed near the runway on the island of Penghu has risen to 48 people.

The plane, a 70-seat ATR 72, came down with 54 passengers and four crew on board while attempting an emergency landing during a thunderstorm.

Ten people were injured and taken to hospital.

Of the 48 victims, two were French nationals, the French foreign ministry has confirmed in a statement.

The aircraft struck the ground near the airport in Xixi village, in the island of Penghu, off the western coast of Taiwan.

Taiwan's president Ma Ying-jeou said in a statement: "Today is a very sad day in the history of Taiwan aviation. All of Taiwan is grieving."

China's president, Xi Jinping, said he felt "deeply grieved" after learning the tragedy had caused heavy casualties.

Flight GE 222 was flying a domestic route in stormy weather from the capital Taipei to the Penghu Islands, halfway between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Reports said the pilot failed to land the ATR-72 aircraft at the first attempt, before he requested another attempt and air-traffic control lost contact with the plane.

Pictures on Taiwan television showed emergency services searching through twisted wreckage at the crash site.

Taiwan was battered by Typhoon Matmo early Tuesday morning, and the Central Weather Bureau was advising of heavy rain through the evening, even though the center of the storm was in mainland China.

Penghu is a lightly populated island that averages around two flights a day from Taiwan's capital, Taipei.