A small passenger plane has crashed after taking off in Essex, police said.
The Beechcraft B200 aircraft crashed at about 4pm on Sunday, soon after taking off from London Southend airport, and was seen in flames with dark smoke billowing from it, according to photos circulating on social media.
Essex police said they were at the scene of a serious incident.
A statement from the force said: “We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane. We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours.
“We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues.”
Essex County fire and rescue service said four crews along with off-road vehicles had attended the incident.
The East of England ambulance service said four ambulances and four hazardous area response team vehicles were at the scene, in addition to an air ambulance.
The cause of the crash is not yet known. London Southend airport announced on Sunday evening it was closed until further notice.
According to the flight-tracking service Flightradar24, the plane took off at 3.48pm and was bound for Lelystad, a city in the Netherlands.
The aircraft, operated by Zeusch Aviation, was equipped with medical systems for transporting patients. The Dutch company specialises in medical evacuations and transplant flights and also runs private charters.
It is unclear whether the flight from Southend was a medical evacuation or whether any patient was onboard at the time of the crash.
ESN Report wrote on X: “Just witnessed a Beechcraft crash on takeoff at Southend airport about 40 minutes after a Cessna also left the runway. Thoughts are with those on the aircraft. Absolutely tragic. Was waving to the aircrew just moments before.”
David Burton-Sampson, the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, posted on X: “I am aware of an incident at Southend airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved.”
Police said they had evacuated the Rochford Hundred golf club as a precaution because of its proximity to the incident.
London Southend airport said: “Due to a serious incident today at London Southend airport, we regret to advise that the airport is closed until further notice.
“All flights to and from the airport have been cancelled while police, emergency services and air accident investigators are attending the incident.
“We ask that any passengers due to travel tomorrow (Monday, 14 July) via London Southend airport contact their airline for information and advice.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by today’s events and all passengers impacted by this disruption.
“We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments.”
EasyJet earlier said all of its flights to and from Southend had been “diverted to alternative airports or are no longer able to operate”.
John Johnson from Billericay was at Southend airport with his family at the time of the incident. He told PA Media: “We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us. The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its takeoff, departure, powered up, rolled down the runway.
“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.
“There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it. All the kids saw it and the families saw it.”
James Philpott, a bartender at Rochford Hundred golf club, which is next door to Southend airport, told the BBC: “I was just basically in a hut like in the middle of the course and I didn’t even see any plane go down or anything, and I just felt like a big heatwave come through and I looked up and there was just a massive fireball basically 100 foot in the sky.
“It was more the heat really just kind of hit me as I was sitting there, just like feel like I’m baking.”
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said her thoughts were with “all those involved” in the Southend airport crash and that she was receiving regular updates.
In a post on X, she said: “I’m aware of the tragic incident at Southend airport this afternoon.
“My thoughts are with all those involved. The emergency services are on scene and are advising the public to avoid the area where possible. I am monitoring the situation closely and receiving regular updates.”
Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad airport in the Netherlands, confirmed late on Sunday that one of its aircraft was involved in the crash.
A statement from the firm said: “We can confirm that Zeusch Aviation flight SUZ1 was involved in an accident today at London Southend airport.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.”