11 killed after civilian aircraft crashes in eastern France

A civilian aircraft crashed near the eastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday, killing 11 people, local authorities said, in one of the country's deadliest aviation accidents this year.

The aircraft went down in the vicinity of the airport in Tomblaine, prompting police to cordon off the area and urge the public to "strictly avoid" the crash site as emergency responders launched rescue and recovery operations.

Local media reported that the aircraft was carrying a group of people on a skydiving trip when it crashed. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the accident, and an investigation is expected to be launched.


The ⁠plane belonged ‌to a parachutist school. ⁠The pilot and all 10 passengers - five students and five instructors - died in the accident, the prefecture said.

The ‌French interior minister was on his way ⁠to the scene, the interior ministry said.