Eleven people have died after a civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed in the town of Tomblaine in eastern France, local officials said.

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The pilot and all 10 passengers were killed, including five instructors and five people who were preparing to skydive for the first time.

The plane, which was being used by a parachutist school, had taken off from Nancy-Essey airfield when it crashed suddenly at around 11:00 local time (10:00 BST).

The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the cause of the incident, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

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Some of the victims’ relatives saw the crash take place, as they had gathered at the airfield to watch the first-time tandem jumps, Nuñez added.

The mayor of the nearby city of Nancy, Mathieu Klein, said some of the victims had died “in full view of their loved ones”.

Chaynesse Khirouni, president of the eastern department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, said those family members had suffered “considerable psychological trauma”.

Nuñez said there was “very strong emotion” when he visited the crash site, as well as “great solidarity” for the families of the victims.

Medical and psychological support teams had arrived to care for relatives and other witnesses, he added.

The plane hit the ground near the edge of the airfield, close to a residential area and a shopping centre. Local officials say it narrowly missed the houses nearby.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya