London: A plane has been involved in a collision at London Southend Airport in what police have described as a 'serious incident.' Local authorities were alerted shortly before 4 pm (1500 GMT) on Sunday about a crash involving a 12-metre aircraft.
According to Ghana News Agency, images shared on social media depict a plume of fire and black smoke rising from the crash site at the Essex airport. As a precautionary measure, police have begun evacuating a nearby golf club and a rugby club due to their close proximity to the incident.
In a statement, the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service confirmed their response to the incident, stating they were called to the scene at 3.58 pm. The service is working in coordination with emergency services and aviation partners to manage the situation.
The East of England Ambulance Service has dispatched a significant response team, including four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four hazardous area response team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars, and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance to the scene.
David Burton-Sampson, the Labour member of parliament for Southend West and Leigh, acknowledged the incident on social media, urging the public to keep away and allow emergency services to perform their duties. He expressed his thoughts for everyone involved in the situation.
Matt Dent, Southend city council's Cabinet member for business, culture, music, and tourism, also commented on the incident on social media. He noted the crash of a small plane at the airport and extended his thoughts to those involved and the emergency services actively responding to the event.
