Locals and foreigners were on board the plane that crashed on Monday

Thirty-two people have been killed and one person survived when a United Nations plane crashed in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN spokesperson has said.

"We can confirm only one survivor out of the 33 people on board the ... plane," Farhan Haq said.

The plane crashed on Monday while attempting to land at the airport serving the capital city.

It was one of the worst disasters ever involving UN transport. Twenty UN workers were listed as on board the flight.

The plane was carrying UN officials and peacekeepers travelling from the northeastern city of Kisangani to Kinshasa's N'Djili airport, according to a statement from the UN mission known as MONUSCO.

The world body earlier said both Congolese and foreign nationals were on board the plane.

The operator of the plane, Georgian flag carrier Airzena Georgian Airways, said the crew was Georgian.

There were strong winds blowing at the time of the crash.

A UN source in Kinshasa, who asked not to be named, told the Reuters news agency: "The plane landed heavily, broke into two and caught fire."

A Reuters correspondent at the airport said the plane was completely destroyed and the wreckage was lying at the end of the runway.

The UN has a fleet of more than a dozen planes in the country with which the mission transports its personnel, journalists and staff of international and local non-governmental organisations.