Nine dead in New Zealand skydive plane crash

light aircraft crash in New Zealand

Nine people, including four foreigners, have been killed in a light aircraft crash in New Zealand, say reports. The plane, owned by a skydiving company, burst into flames shortly after taking off at the tourist spot of Fox Glacier on the South Island. The dead tourists were from England, Ireland, Australia and Germany, said police. The pilot and the other four passengers were all local. None of the passengers has yet been identified.

The plane was reported to be a Fletcher fixed-wing aircraft, commonly used in the area. Officials said it crashed shortly after leaving the Fox Glacier airstrip at about 1330 local time (0130GMT). An eyewitness told the New Zealand Herald: "It was like a fireball and then there was big puffs of smoke going up. [The plane] was engulfed in flames immediately."