Six police officers have been killed in Thailand after their plane crashed into the sea during a test flight for parachute training, police have said.

The small plane was seen crashing into the water at around 08:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Friday in the Cha-am district, a coastal resort area some 130km (80 miles) southwest of Bangkok.

Royal Thai Police said in a statement on Facebook that five of the officers died at the scene, with a sixth later dying in hospital.

Authorities are examining the aircraft’s black box data recorder to determine the cause of the crash.

Local media said that the aircraft hit the water around 100 metres from the shore, while footage shared online showed people wading into the sea to reach the crash site.

The officers who died were three pilots, one engineer and two mechanics, police confirmed.

“The Royal Thai Police express their deepest condolences to the brave officers who lost their lives,” a statement added.

Police chief Kitrat Phanphet, who visited the scene alongside other officials, said initial investigations showed the plane was heading towards houses but its pilots managed to manoeuvre it towards the sea, avoiding any further fatalities.

Photographs from later on Friday showed the plane wreckage lying part-submerged in shallow water.