SYDNEY: A small plane carrying five people crashed into a
shopping center near an airport outside Melbourne, Australia's second-largest
city, on Tuesday and officials said an unknown number of people may have been
killed.
"It appears to be a very, very tragic accident that's
occurred out here ... that's potentially caused fatalities," Victoria
state police minister Lisa Neville told Sky News.
The network broadcast pictures showing smoke billowing from
the shopping mall near Essen don airport, a small airfield close to Melbourne,
and firefighters hosing down the burning wreckage.
Neville said five people were on board the plane, which was
a charter flight to King Island in Bass Strait between the Australian mainland
and the southern island state of Tasmania.
Police said the plane crashed just before 9 am (2300 GMT
Monday), about an hour before the Direct Factory Outlet shopping mall was due
to open.
"At this stage we do not have information regarding
possible casualties," Victoria state police said in a statement.
Essen don Airport is a small airfield mainly used by light
planes. A spokeswoman for Air services Australia said flights in and out of
Melbourne's main airport were not affected.
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