Skydiving plane crash kills 11 in France

FRANCE: Eleven people were killed after a skydiving aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near the Nancy-Essey aerodrome in eastern France on Sunday, making it one of the country's deadliest light aircraft accidents in recent years.

Local authorities said the victims included the pilot, five skydiving instructors, and five trainee jumpers. According to officials, the students were a group of nurses who had organized their first tandem skydive as a recreational outing, reportedly to take a break during the ongoing heatwave.

The plane, which was registered in Germany and chartered for a skydiving event, crashed into a grassy area close to the runway, narrowly missing nearby homes and roads. T

omblaine Mayor Hervé Féron said the aircraft suddenly plunged to the ground during its ascent for reasons that remain unknown. Nancy Mayor Mathieu Klein described the incident as especially heartbreaking, noting that the victims' relatives witnessed the crash while preparing to film the jump.

Emergency responders and psychological support teams were deployed to assist the victims' families and witnesses at the scene. Authorities have launched a technical investigation to determine the cause of the crash, while police urged the public to avoid the area to facilitate rescue and investigative operations.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot were expected to visit the crash site later in the day.