A 12-meter plane was involved in a collision at London Southend Airport, Essex police announced on Sunday, stating that it is a „serious incident,” without specifying the number of victims.
A man, who was at the airport with his wife and children, told Sky News that the plane crashed seconds after takeoff.
Images shared on social media show a small plane engulfed in flames and a thick black cloud. The Beechcraft B200 plane crashed on a golf course in Southend.
„We are still at the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport. We are collaborating with all emergency services on site,” the police said in a statement.
The police stated that they were alerted just before 3:00 PM GMT about the presence of this 12-meter plane on fire in the Southend-on-Sea area, east of London. Authorities did not immediately announce a toll.
The East of England Ambulance Service announced that it dispatched four ambulances and other emergency vehicles. The airport's website announced that five international flights were canceled following the accident.
Four EasyJet flights scheduled to depart from Southend on Sunday afternoon were canceled, according to the company's website.
Southend Airport is located 65 kilometers east of London, near the town of Southend-on-Sea.