An Indian air force plane carrying 29 military personnel has gone missing, the military said.

The plane was on its way to Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar chain of islands, from the southeast Indian city of Chennai when it disappeared from radar.

There were six crew on the Russian-made AN-32 aircraft.

A navy spokesman said surveillance planes and ships were searching for the aircraft.

It was carrying service personnel to the strategic islands near the Malacca Straits, where India has a military base.