All nine people died aboard a business jet that crashed into a Florida neighbourhood, the US transportation secretary said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X that the Lear 60 jet crashed in Palm Beach County, calling it a horrific tragedy.
The aircraft departed from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas. Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the cause.
Video shot from people inside their cars captured the terrifying moment the aircraft plunged from the sky, before striking near the roadway and exploding.
Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater as people milled about, expressing shock it landed only feet from homes and only inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site.
It was not immediately known if anyone on the ground in the Palm Beach County neighbourhood was injured or killed.
The crash left a giant crater in the pavement with flames leaping up from it near a utility pole.
Firefighters and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
A woman working nearby said electricity in the area had been out for approximately two hours following the crash.
The circumstances of the crash remained under investigation.
Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said it was a private aircraft. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.
“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.
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