Six people were killed and six were injured when a small passenger aircraft crashed and caught fire while trying to land in heavy fog at Cork Airport in southern Ireland on Thursday, police officials said.

Accident occurred when a turboprop, which was en route from Belfast in Northern Ireland, had crashed after making several attempts at landing.

"I can confirm that we have six fatalities and six people are in hospital," Tom O'Sullivan, a spokesman for Cork County Council, told AFP.

Manx2 owned Fairchild Metroliner SW4 aircraft was carrying 10 passengers and two crew members when it crashed due to poor visibility, the Irish Aviation Authority said.

The pilots had tried to land on two different runways without success but the plane crashed next to a taxiway while making a third attempt, the aviation authority said in a statement.

"There is a fire, and debris has been scattered onto the runway and over a wide area," the statement said. They also say that the plane tumbled when it hit the runway.

Cork Airport will remain closed until further notice. O'Sullivan, from the county council, said the fire had been extinguished and the area had been declared a crime scene while the crash was investigated.