Several people have died after a plane crashed into a mobile home in Clearwater, Florida, on Thursday, the local fire department said.
At about 7:08 p.m. ET, authorities received simultaneous calls about a structure fire and a “mayday” signal from the pilot of an aircraft that went off radar about three miles from the runway of the St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department Chief Scott Ehlers said.
Responders got to the scene at 7:15 p.m. Four mobile homes, including one the plane crashed into, were on fire.
“I can confirm that we have several fatalities, both from the aircraft and within the mobile home,” Ehlers said.
He added people in the other three homes got out safely.
The fire and rescue department is working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to identify the type of aircraft, as well as the pilot and passengers aboard the plane, Ehlers said.
“Please understand that we’re working through a very complicated scene,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of agencies that are here… to help coordinate in the investigation of actually what happened, so we’re limited on some of the information we can provide, but we’ll do our best to get you the right, updated information.”
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