A civilian aircraft carrying a group on a skydiving trip crashed near the airport in the town of Tomblaine, eastern France, on Sunday, killing the pilot and all 10 passengers on board.
Local authorities confirmed that all 11 occupants of the aircraft died in the crash. The victims included the pilot, five student skydivers and five instructors.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene as police urged residents to “strictly avoid” the area around the airport to allow rescue and investigation efforts to continue.
France’s Interior Ministry also confirmed that Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was travelling to the crash site to assess the situation.
The tragedy comes just weeks after another fatal aviation accident in the United States, where 12 people were killed in a plane crash near Butler Memorial Airport in Bates County, Missouri.
At the time, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said all 12 occupants of the aircraft had died. Sergeant Justin Ewing later confirmed that the plane was being used to transport people for skydiving activities.
