Jet crashes at London Southend Airport shortly after take off; casualties feared

A small plane crashed at London Southend Airport on Sunday. The airport, located about 72 kilometers east of London, confirmed on social media that there had been a “serious incident” involving a general aviation aircraft. Essex Police said they were alerted just before 4 pm local time and described it as a “serious incident.” They added, as cited by the news agency Associated Press, “We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours.” Photos shared on social media showed fire and thick black smoke rising from the crash site. The aircraft involved in the incident is said to be 12 meters long. Details about how many people were on board or where the plane was going have not yet been shared. As a safety measure, police evacuated a nearby golf club and rugby club because of their closeness to the crash site, news agency AP reported. According to the airport’s website, four flights scheduled for Sunday afternoon were cancelled after the incident.