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Southend airport to remain closed after fireball plane crash

Harriet Heywood
BBC News, Essex
Smoke rises at Southend Airport after the plane crash

London Southend Airport will remain closed until further notice after a plane crashed in what witnesses described as a "fireball".

Essex Police said it was alerted to a 12-metre plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday.

Southend Airport said it would continue to update the public on any developments, and that passengers due to travel on Monday should contact their airline.

There has been no confirmation on the number of casualties.

Dutch company Zeusch Aviation confirmed that its SUZ1 flight had been "involved in an accident" at London Southend Airport.

Based out of Lelystad Airport in The Netherlands, the company said they were actively supporting authorities with the investigation, and that their thoughts were with "everyone who has been affected".

The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend, with a planned return to Lelystad Airport that evening.

UKNIP A huge cloud of black smoke is rising into the air. There is fire on the ground and also filing the cloud of thick smoke. It is coming from the edge of an airfield with trees just behind it. The sky is clear blue, in stark contrast with the 'fireball'. UKNIP
A family, who waved as the plane took off, said they witnessed a "huge fireball" coming from the site of the incident

John Johnson, 40, from Billericay, Essex, was watching planes with his wife and children when he saw a "huge fireball" after the plane crashed "head first into the ground".

Mr Johnson was at the airport with his wife and children to watch aircraft activity as he said his sons "are really into planes".

"You could see [the pilots] smiling and we all kind of smiled back, the aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take off point, powered up its engines and powered past us, carrying on down the runway," he told the BBC.

"It took off in probably three or four seconds. It started to bank heavily to its left.

"I said to my wife, that's unusual. We don't find aircraft normally turning at that stage in their ascent.

"Within a few seconds of that, the aircraft almost inverted and hit the ground. There was a huge fireball."

He called 999 to report the incident.

'Running towards it'

Frazer Brooks Thick dark smoke is billowing into the blue sky from the incident - which cannot be seen in the image. Frazer Brooks
The East of England Ambulance Service and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene

James Philpott, a bartender at the Rochford Hundred Golf Club, had been in a hut in the middle of the course when he felt "a big heatwave".

"I looked up and there was a massive fireball, basically," he told the BBC.

"Everyone was just quite shocked… we haven't seen anything like this.

"People were sort of running towards it to see if anyone was injured."

People were evacuated from the course due to its close proximity with the crash, but Mr Philpott said some people remained in the clubhouse as it was further away.

The chairman of Westcliff Rugby Club, which is near Southend Airport, said people at the club did not have to evacuate following the plane crash.

Pete Jones said: "That didn't happen in the end [police] changed their mind.

"We've got a big event there, 250 people, and they just said no, you don't have to evacuate."

Mr Jones said the aircraft went down about 1,000m from the clubhouse and that people there could see smoke in the aftermath.

Essex Police said it was working with the Air Accident Investigation Branch.

Ch Supt Morgan Cronin said: "In these very early stages it is vital we gather the information we need, and continue supporting the people of Essex."

The force asked people to keep its emergency lines open by using its dedicated major incident portal when contacting them about the incident.

Getty Images A police car in a field. The doors are open and officers are stood around the back of the car looking to the right. They appear to be near the runway and there are signs on the ground reading F2 and F1. Getty Images
Ch Supt Cronin said: "We are working closely with all at the scene, as well as the Air Accident Investigation Branch, to establish what has happened today"
UKNIP A huge billowing cloud of black, grey and white smoke coming from the edge of the airfield. It is so thick that it is hiding some of the trees - that are on the edge of the airfield. A fire engine can be seen spraying water towards the mass of smoke. UKNIP
The East of England Ambulance Service said four ambulances and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance have been sent to the incident

The transport secretary said her "thoughts are with all those involved" in the Southend Airport crash and that she was receiving "regular updates".

In a post on X, Heidi Alexander said: "I'm aware of the tragic incident at Southend Airport this afternoon.

"The emergency services are on scene and are advising the public to avoid the area where possible.

"I am monitoring the situation closely and receiving regular updates."

Earlier in the evening the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh and the Southend City Council's cabinet member for business, culture, music and tourism, said they had been made aware of the incident.

David Burton-Sampson and Matt Dent posted on X that their thoughts were with those involved and with the emergency services responding to the incident.

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