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The Chinese-made Y-8-200F transport plane vanished on early Wednesday afternoon after takeoff from Myanmar – previously known as Burma – on a weekly military flight.

The aircraft – which was heading from the coastal town of Myeik to the south east Asian largest city Yangon – was carrying 108 soldiers, their family members and 14 crew.

And it was confirmed this morning by the military 10 bodies had been found, including six adults and four children.

(Image: M RADZI DESA/GOOGLE) (Image: GOOGLE)

Among them were 15 children, 58 adults and 35 soldiers and officers.

Three bodies – including two adults and a child – were found by a navy ship 22 miles from the southern costal town of Launglon, the military said.

A plane wheel that was believed to be from the plane was also found.

(Image: REUTERS)

Nine navy ships, five military planes and two helicopters were mobilised on Thursday to search for the missing aircraft.

Some 500 people, including medics and emergency officials, continued the search on the shore near the town of Launglon, close to the area where the naval search was concentrated, according a policeman and member of a local funeral association.

The plane lost contact 29 minutes after takeoff while flying at 18,000 feet over the sea, about 43 miles west of the town of Dawei, the military said.

It sparked fears of a similar case to the MH370 Malaysian Airlines flight which went missing three years ago and has never been found.

It is monsoon season in Myanmar, but a civil aviation official said the weather had been "normal" with good visibility when the plane took off.