11 killed in skydiving plane crash in eastern France

Eleven people were killed when a small civilian plane carrying skydivers crashed in eastern France, according to officials.

The plane went down in Tomblaine, near the city of Nancy, after taking off from the nearby Nancy-Essey aerodrome, according to the prefecture of Meurthe-et-Moselle.

The victims were the pilot and 10 passengers, French officials said. BFMTV reported that the passengers were two groups of five skydivers who were taking part in a parachuting session.

Yves Séguy, the prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle, told BFMTV that the crash was caused by a malfunction, but said the exact cause remains under investigation. He said the plane fell vertically and that there was no indication of an attempted emergency landing.

The aircraft crashed near a residential area. Séguy said authorities were fortunate there were no additional victims on the ground.

The prefecture activated its departmental operations center so emergency services could coordinate the response in real time.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said a medical-psychological emergency unit was activated to support relatives of the victims and people who witnessed the crash.

BFMTV, citing a local nursing official, reported that some of the victims may have been independent nurses who were taking part in what was described as an introductory parachuting jump.

The crash is the deadliest aviation accident in France outside of military and commercial transport, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety told AFP.