A small chartered plane crashed into an under-construction building in Mumbai’s suburban Ghatkopar, killing five people and injuring two others. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation told news agency ANI that two pilots, two Aircraft Maintenance Engineers on board and one pedestrian present on ground were killed.
Eyewitnesses have told IANS that the plane was seen hurtling down and crashed with a deafening roar before bursting into flames around 1.15 p.m.
#Mumbai chartered plane crash: 5 people, including 4 people on board, have died. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/UIAyN9aP0e
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2018
The plane was reportedly about to land at the airport when it crashed into the building. A preliminary probe has revealed that the aircraft was on a test flight and had taken off from the Juhu Airport minutes before it crashed.
#WATCH: A chartered plane crashes near Jagruti building in Ghatkopar where a construction work was going on. #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/ACyGYymydX
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2018
Two pilots, two Aircraft Maintenance Engineers on board & one person on ground are dead in the Mumbai chartered plane crash: Directorate General of Civil Aviation
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2018
Fire tenders and an ambulance were rushed to the spot. Five bodies have been recovered and two of the injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment. A passerby in the vicinity of the crash was burnt fatally when some burning fuel from the aircraft fell on him, an eyewitness, who was among the first to reach the spot, told IANS.
After reports emerged that the plane belonged to Uttar Pradesh government, Principal Secretary Information Avnish Awasthi released a clarification.
“The chartered plane which has crashed does not belong to UP government. The state government had sold it to Mumbai's UY Aviation. The deal was done after the plane had met with an accident in Allahabad,” Awasthi told ANI.
A probe has been ordered into the crash.
(With inputs from IANS)