Fifty-three people onboard a small commuter plane were killed when it crashed into a frozen lake minutes after taking off in northern China's Baotou city on Sunday.

The aircraft, carrying 47 passengers and six crewmembers, crashed into the lake in Nanhai Park at about 8.20 am (5.40 IST), Xinhua news agency said.

The CRJ-200 plane was en route to the eastern metropolis Shanghai, it said.

Witnesses said the plane broke into flaming fragments, damaging a house and the park.

Fire fighters and police were trying to break the ice on the lake to search for the bodies.