Small plane crashes near mall in Philadelphia
A small plane carrying two people crashed in the vicinity of a shopping mall in Philadelphia, resulting in multiple casualties on the ground, local media reported.
The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, citing police, said the crash took place shortly after 6 p.m. Eastern near the Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia.
At least one house and multiple cars are on fire.
The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management confirmed on social media that there was a "major incident" in the area of the reported crash, but provided no other details.
A large fire and several fire trucks at the scene of the crash, and the status of victims was not immediately known.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker urged residents near a plane crash to stay inside, telling the media the number of victims of the crash is still to be determined.
“An aircraft went down in the vicinity of Roosevelt Mall, on Cottman Avenue. As of right now, we have no reports on the number of fatalities. So right now, we're just asking for prayers for any and everyone who may have been affected. We do want to note that several dwellings and vehicles were impacted. So what are we asking you to do for us right now, Philadelphia? We’re urging you to please stay away from the scene. If you see debris, call 911. Don't touch anything. This is still an active scene under investigation,” said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash took place around 6:30 p.m. Local media reported it was near the Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia.
The plane crashed into a neighborhood near the Roosevelt Mall just moments after leaving the airstrip at approximately 6:07 p.m. The first emergency calls went out about five minutes later, at 6:12 p.m. The crash occurred in the area of Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia police confirmed.
The crash follows this week's collision of an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., which killed 67 in the deadliest airplane crash in the U.S. since 2009.
