A South Korean Navy maritime patrol aircraft carrying four people has crashed near a military base in the southern city of Pohang on Thursday, according to a statement from the navy.

The incident occurred at 1:43 p.m. local time (0443 GMT). Authorities are currently working to determine the cause of the crash and confirm the number of casualties. Tragically, deaths are expected

Yonhap News Agency, citing officials, reported that the aircraft went down in mountainous terrain along the east coast. A civilian witness told Yonhap that smoke was visible rising from the crash site.

This story is developing and will continue to be updated