Emergency services have rushed to London Southend Airport after a small plane crashed, forcing the closure of the airport until further notice.
No information on any casualties was immediately available.
All flights to and from the airport in Essex on England’s south-east coast have been cancelled while police, emergency services and air accident investigators attend the incident, the airport said in a social media post.
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The plane was operated by Zeusch Aviation in the Netherlands and had flown from Athens, Greece, to Pula, Croatia, before heading to Southend on Sunday afternoon, local time.
It was due to return to Lelystad, Netherlands, on Sunday evening.
Zeusch Aviation confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been involved in an accident and said the company was supporting the investigation.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected,” its statement said.
No details on where the plane was heading or how many people were on board were immediately disclosed.
British media said it was a medical transport aircraft equipped with medical systems for transporting patients, specifically a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air heading to the Netherlands.
“We remain on the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport,” the local Essex police said, adding that they were alerted just before 4pm, local time, to reports of a collision involving a 12-metre plane.
Soon after the crash, images circulated on social media showing a plume of fire and black smoke emanating from the crash site above the Southend Airport, about 56 kilometres east of London.
The airport’s website showed five international flights had been cancelled following the accident.
Emergency services attended the scene of the plane crash around 4pm, local time. (Getty Images)
Plane crashed within seconds of taking off, witness says
Witness John Johnson, who was at the airport with his family, told news agency Associated Press he saw a “big fireball” after the plane “crashed head-first into the ground”.
“It took off and about three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head-first into the ground,” he said.
“There was a big fireball.”
Mr Johnson said that before the plane got into position for take-off, he and his family waved at the pilots and “they all waved back at us”.
After the crash, Mr Johnson said the airport’s fire service responded straight away, with two fire engines sent to the crash site, followed by local police, ambulance and fire services.
The East of England Ambulance Service said it had sent four ambulances and other response vehicles.
The local member of parliament, David Burton-Sampson, urged people to stay away and let the emergency services do their work.
“My thoughts are with everyone involved,” he said.
ABC/wires