French plane crash: 11 dead as civilian plane disintegrates in Tomblaine

A civilian plane crashed in eastern France on Sunday morning, AFP reported, citing local media. The tragedy occurred moments after the plane took off from Nancy-Essey airport around 11:00. According to the newspaper L’Est Republicain, the plane was carrying a group of paratroopers who were blown to pieces in the northeastern French town of Tomblaine, near Nancy. About 11 people died in the incident, three others ejected in time.

French news site L’Est Republicain reported that the victims on board the plane were independent sisters from Nancy who had parachuted for the first time. Thierry Pechey, president of the Meurthe-et-Moselle branch of the Order of Independent Sisters, arrived on the scene to assess the situation.

Among the dead were five instructors, five students and one experienced pilot. The plane belonged to a parachuting school, the prefecture said. Yves Seguy, prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle, confirmed the death toll but gave no information that the sisters were on board the plane.

According to French media, the German-registered Pilatus plane, which is commonly used for parachute jumps, crashed. The Home Secretary is expected to arrive at the scene of the accident later this afternoon at around 4.30pm, The Mirror reported.

French police urged residents to leave the area, saying: “Definitely avoid the Salvador Allende street area. To allow free access for emergency services and law enforcement, do not go there.”

The State Attorney’s Office has turned to the Forensic Identification Service and the Air Transport Unit of the Nancy-Metz Gendarmerie to begin an investigation into the accident, Deputy State’s Attorney Amaury Lacote announced. Meanwhile, properties located in the area of the crash site are facing power outages, local news reported.