Several fatalities reported after small plane crashes into Florida mobile home park

February 2, 2024 09:42

Several fatalities were reported after a small plane crashed into and demolished a mobile home in Clearwater, Florida, officials said, Report informs referring to Reuters.

Images posted online by the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department showed flames and smoke billowing from the destroyed home.

"I can confirm that we have several fatalities both from the aircraft and within" the mobile home the plane crashed into, Clearwater Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said in a press briefing late on Thursday. He did not give the exact number of fatalities.

The pilot had radioed in a Mayday distress call, Ehlers said earlier.

The aircraft, a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35, crashed into the residential area after the pilot reported an engine failure, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNN.

It was not clear how many people were on the plane.

One person on the ground also received a minor injury and refused treatment, said Ehlers, who said the pilot was dead, according to reports from the scene.

In all, four homes were damaged in the mobile home park where the crash occurred, he said.