A small plane carrying five people crashed into a shopping center near an airport outside Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, on Tuesday and officials said an unknown number of people may have been killed.
"It appears to be a very, very tragic accident that's occurred out here ... that's potentially caused fatalities," Victoria state police minister Lisa Neville told Sky News.
The network broadcast pictures showing smoke billowing from the shopping mall near Essendon airport, a small airfield close to Melbourne, and firefighters hosing down the burning wreckage.
Neville said five people were on board the plane, which was a charter flight to King Island in Bass Strait between the Australian mainland and the southern island state of Tasmania.
Police said the plane crashed just before 9:00 a.m., about an hour before the Direct Factory Outlet shopping mall was due to open.
"At this stage we do not have information regarding possible casualties," Victoria state police said in a statement.
DFO Essendon issued a statement:
"This morning a light plane crashed into the rear of the Homemaker Centre of DFO Essendon. The Centre was not open at the time.
Vicinity Centres is working with Essendon Fields and Victorian emergency services who are currently coordinating and managing the immediate response to this incident, and the centre is currently closed until further notice.
The thoughts of all at Vicinity Centres are first and foremost for the safety and welfare of those impacted in this incident.
We aren't able to confirm if there any injuries or fatalities at this stage.
We will continue to provide further updates as information becomes available."
Essendon Airport is a small airfield mainly used by light planes. A spokeswoman for Airservices Australia said flights in and out of Melbourne's main airport were not affected.
A retail outlet is ablaze after a light plane crashed at Essendon Airport, in Melbourne's north https://t.co/ojWJRoizoO pic.twitter.com/8QzT96t3FZ
- ABC News (@abcnews) February 21, 2017
.@theheraldsun nasty stuff. I saw a yellow and red fiery ball explode then black plumes of smoke pic.twitter.com/gDTQESftMv
- Mïkey Cahîll (@JoeyLightbulb) February 20, 2017
