- A single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 plane crashed into a mobile home park in Clearwater, Florida on Thursday evening
- Several people have died but a final toll has not yet been determined
- Firefighters on the scene found four trailer homes on fire, one of which had the crashed plane inside
Multiple people have been killed after a small plane crashed into a mobile home park in Clearwater, Florida on Thursday evening.
Firefighters were called to the the burning crash site at the Bayside Waters mobile home park, about 23 miles west of Tampa, around 7:15pm local time.
First responders found four trailer homes on fire, one of which had the crashed plane inside, City Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said at a news briefing on Thursday night.
‘I can confirm that we have several fatalities both from the aircraft and within the mobile home,’ Ehlers said, but was not able to provide a precise number of casualties.
It is not yet clear how many people were on board the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 plane itself.
The pilot reported an engine failure and went off radar about 3 miles north of an airport runway, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson told CNN .
Clearwater Police attended the crash site and were working to secure and preserve the scene, Chief Eric Gandy said at the briefing.
‘We’ll be working through that scene as the night progresses to further clarify what we have and secure that scene for NTSB and FAA’s arrival later in the evening,’ he said.
Steven Ascari, a Clearwater resident, told the broadcaster he heard what sounded like an explosion that shook his entire apartment.
‘And next thing you know a giant pillar of smoke was seen,’ he recalled.
Footage from the scene showed red plumes of smoke rising from several mobile homes as shocked residents stood by in a nearby car park.
Other videos posted to social media show firefighters struggling to combat the blaze with hoses as the flames engulf the homes and surrounding trees.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
