The aircraft was carrying 11 people, including the pilot, five trainee parachutists and five instructors. Officials said there were no survivors, with everyone on board losing their lives in the crash.
France’s Interior Minister was reported to be travelling to the scene as emergency responders and investigators launched an operation to determine the cause of the accident.
Regional prefect Yves Seguy said preliminary findings indicate the aircraft may have sustained damage before suddenly plunging almost vertically to the ground. The plane came down in a populated area close to a shopping centre.
Seguy noted that the tragedy could have been far worse, saying the aircraft narrowly missed areas where more people could have been injured or killed.
Emergency crews secured the crash site while investigators began examining the wreckage to establish what caused the aircraft to go down.
The local prosecutor has yet to issue an official statement as authorities continue their investigation into one of the region’s deadliest aviation accidents in recent years.
Goodness Anunobi
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