Five killed in Malta plane crash, aircraft was headed for Libya

Published October 24th, 2016 - 01:00 GMT
Emergency workers are seen at the site of the wreckage of a small twin engined plane which crashed shortly after takeoff from Malta International Airport, on October 24, 2016. (AFP/Matthew Mirabelli)
Emergency workers are seen at the site of the wreckage of a small twin engined plane which crashed shortly after takeoff from Malta International Airport, on October 24, 2016. (AFP/Matthew Mirabelli)

Police in Malta say five people have been killed after a light aircraft crashed just after take-off this morning.

Officials from the EU’s border agency Frontex were not aboard the plane, contrary to initial reports.

Military officials in Valetta said all five victims of the crash were French.

Eye-witnesses told The Times of Malta that they had seen the plane take off before tipping to its right side and then plummeting “straight down into the ground” and bursting into flames.

According to the Times of Malta, the plane was headed for Misrata in Libya.

Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content