At least 11 people have died after a civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed near the town of Tomblaine in eastern France on Sunday, authorities confirmed.
The aircraft went down in a grassy area close to the runway of the Nancy-Essey aerodrome, narrowly avoiding nearby residential buildings and major roads.
Officials identified the victims as the pilot, five skydiving instructors and five trainee skydivers. Authorities confirmed that no one on the ground was injured in the accident.
Speaking after the incident, Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefect Yves Seguy said, “There were no bystanders among the victims.”
The aircraft, which was registered in Germany, was operating a skydiving flight when it crashed. The circumstances leading to the accident remain unclear.
Emergency responders quickly secured the crash site, while medical and psychological support teams were deployed to assist relatives of the victims and witnesses who were at the airfield when the aircraft went down.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Amaury Lacote said a technical investigation had been launched to establish the cause of the crash.
Police also restricted access to the area, urging members of the public to stay away to enable emergency services and investigators carry out their work without obstruction.
