San Diego (AFP) – A small private jet crashed into a military housing complex in San Diego in the middle of the night, killing several people and igniting a fierce blaze that destroyed cars and homes, officials said Thursday. The plane went down around 3:45 am local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), striking the Murphy Canyon neighborhood — an area filled with low-rise homes and known as one of the largest military housing communities in the world.
Flames engulfed rows of parked vehicles, leaving behind blackened husks, while more than 10 homes sustained damage or were destroyed. “There are more than one fatality that we found so far, but we’re waiting to get the registered numbers that were on the plane itself,” Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy told reporters. He added that, “miraculously,” no deaths or serious injuries had been reported among residents on the ground. The Cessna 550 jet had originated from the Midwest, where it was also registered, Eddy said. The aircraft, which can carry eight to 10 people, crashed near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
“We had some possible minor injuries from the scene,” but no one was transported from the scene, from any of the housing units, he noted. Emergency crews were continuing to search the wreckage with the aid of drones. “There are multiple homes — upwards of 10 — that are affected,” Eddy said. He added that the jet fuel took out cars on both sides of the street that went up in flames. “That’s why you have the wisps of smoke, because we have one car fire that just will not go out no matter what we put on it.” A power line was also damaged in the incident, and investigators are working to determine whether it played a role.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria expressed condolences to those affected and praised first responders for their swift actions.
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