US news: Small plane crashes into San Diego neighbourhood, killing multiple people; about 15 houses on fire
A small plane crashed in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighbourhood killing multiple people, who were onboard. The police have advised the public to avoid the Sculpin St and Santo Rd areas while crews respond to the incident
San Diego plane crash: A quiet morning in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighbourhood turned tragic after a small plane crashed into the area near Tierrasanta, Thursday early morning, killing multiple people on board, and set around 15 homes on fire.
The plane could hold eight to 10 people but it's not yet known how many were on the aircraft, Assistant San Diego Fire Chief Dan Eddy told reporters.
The police department has directed the public to avoid the Sculpin St and Santo Road areas. “SDPD is responding to a plane crash near Sculpin St and Santo Rd. Please avoid the area while crews work,” the San Diego police department (SDPD) confirmed in a post on X.
Police rush to find survivors
The airplane — a Cessna 550 — left a "gigantic debris field" and damaged multiple homes and parked cars, ABC News quoted the San Diego assistant fire chief as saying.
“We have jet fuel all over the place,” Assistant Fire Department Chief said during a news conference.
“Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now," Eddy told reporters.
Where was the plane headed?
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the aircraft involved was a Cessna 550 en route to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. There is still no information on how many people were on board. The FAA, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), will conduct a joint investigation into the crash, mentions a report by NBC News.
What led to the crash?
It was very foggy when the plane crashed, said Assistant Fire Department Chief Eddy, stating that one could “barely see in front of you (one)”.
He added “there is a direct hit to multiple homes" in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood.
Two elementary schools closed
The San Diego Police Department has ordered evacuations for Salmon, Sample, and Sculpin streets. Miller Elementary School, located at 4343 Shields Street, is being used as an evacuation center. San Diego Unified Police also announced that both Hancock and Miller elementary schools will remain closed on Thursday, reported CBS News.
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