Two people dead after small plane crash in San Diego neighbourhood

At least two people have died after a small plane crashed into a residential street in San Diego on Thursday morning.

One home was destroyed and 10 buildings were damaged after the small plane crashed in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood outside San Diego, officials said.

Eight people who were on the ground suffered minor injuries - one was taken to hospital while others were treated on-site, they said. Around 100 people evacuated from nearby areas.

The small plane was a Cessna 550 aircraft, said the Federal Aviation Administration, which can carry eight to 10 people including the pilot.

Authorities have not revealed the identities of deceased, or of the passengers on board.

"There's plane everywhere," said Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy, describing the scene authorities were faced with.

"As you would expect, something that large at that amount of speed, were going to have a lot of throw that goes every which direction," he explained.

Earlier on Thursday, he confirmed that there was a "direct hit to multiple homes", and that no one in those homes were believed to be seriously injured.

Footage from the scene shows the charred cars littered across the street.

Local resident Christopher Moore told the Associated Press that he and his wife were woken by a loud bang in the early hours of the morning.

Mr Moore said they looked out the window and saw smoke, and the couple grabbed their two young children and fled.

Once on the street, they saw a car engulfed in flames.

"It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes you've just got to drop your head and get to safety," Mr Moore said.

A marine who lives near the crash site told Fox News he heard a "strange whistling wheezing noise" followed by a "boom and a shake in the house".

The aircraft appeared to be heading to Montgomery Field, an airport located 10km (six miles) north of downtown San Diego.