Another aviation tragedy: Plane crashes at London airport shortly after take off, turns into fireball
Essex Police said it was alerted shortly before 4 pm (BST) to reports of a 12-metre general aviation plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea.
In yet another aviation tragedy, an aircraft crashed at London airport shortly after take off at London Southend Airport on England's southeast coast on Sunday afternoon prompting a large scale emergency response and flight cancellations.
Essex Police said it was alerted shortly before 4 pm (BST) to reports of a 12-metre general aviation plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea.
"We remain on the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport," a police spokesperson said, adding that emergency operations would continue for several hours. The public has been asked to avoid the area while the work is underway.
A spokesperson from the airport confirmed the incident involved a general aviation aircraft. "We can confirm there has been a serious incident at London Southend Airport this afternoon involving a general aviation aircraft," the statement read. The airport added that it is working closely with local authorities and will provide more information "as soon as possible."
The crash resulted in the cancellation of several scheduled flights on Sunday afternoon. Authorities have not yet disclosed how many people were onboard the aircraft or casualties and injuries after the crash. The cause of the crash has also not been ascertained yet.