A FedEx cargo plane has crashed at Narita international airport in Tokyo, killing both pilots.

The plane was caught in a gust of wind as it landed, tipped onto its left wing and burst into flames.

Firefighters sprayed foam onto the remains of the plane while efforts were made to rescue the crew.

A Narita airport spokeswoman said the crash closed the longest runway of the airport. She also confirmed the plane had taken off from Guangzhou in China.

Airlines said some arriving flights had been diverted to Tokyo's Haneda airport as well as airports in Nagoya and Kansai, near Osaka. An All Nippon Airways spokesman said the airline stopped check-in at Narita for 10 international flights, including those to New York, Washington and London.