Seven people were killed after a plane heading to a gold mine being run by a Canadian company crashed in Africa.

Military officials told Agence France-Presse three of the victims were soldiers, two were customs officials and two were civilians.

The report did not say where the civilians were from.

The plane crashed during takeoff in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott, located on the west coast of Africa.

Citing the Mauritanian News Agency, AFP reported the seven people were aboard a renovated DC3 and was headed to a gold mine northeast of the capital. The flight was part of a "transport contract" between the army and the Canadian mining firm, Kinross.

No one was immediately available from Kinross to comment on the crash.