A small private plane that took off from Batumi has crashed into the sea off the coast of Turkey, Turkish media reports.

The private plane, with two people on board, was flying from Batumi to Ordu-Giresun Airport when it crashed into the sea off the coast of Rize province due to a technical malfunction.

Rescuers managed to save both people and their health is not in danger.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the two-seater WT9 aircraft is registered in France.

Rize Governor Ihsan Selim Baydaş said that two Belgian men were on board the plane.

“Their lives are not in danger. One of them is 55 years old and the other is 69 years old. They have been taken to hospital for examination,” the governor said.

The Rize Pazar district administration also released the names of the Belgian citizens on board the plane and cited engine failure as the cause of the emergency landing. According to them, there were two Belgian citizens on board - Werner Vlaseler and Christian Peifer.