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Accident scene in Clearwater: Several dead
Photo: WFTS-TV / AP
Several people were killed when a small plane crashed in the US state of Florida. The fire department said the single-engine plane crashed into a residential area in the city of Clearwater on Thursday evening (local time).
Problems with the engine
There were several deaths both on the plane and among the residents of the settlement consisting of portable houses, operations manager Scott Ehlers told journalists. He couldn't give an exact number. The work is not yet completed. At least four houses went up in flames. It was not initially clear how many people were on board the plane. It was a Beechcraft Bonanza V35, a spokesman for the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told CNN. Depending on the equipment, the aircraft type has space for four to six people.
He did not provide any information about the exact cause of the accident. The pilot made an emergency call a few kilometers after takeoff and reported problems with the engine, it was said. Clearwater has around 110,000 residents and is located about 20 miles west of Tampa on the coast.
has/dpa