A plane carrying parachutists and instructors crashed in France, killing 11 people

In France, near the town of Tomblen, a civilian plane carrying five instructors from a local parachute club and a group of amateur skydivers crashed. Everyone on board died; there were no casualties on the ground. This was reported by the radio station Ici Lorraine.

The parachute jump was booked by a group of five self-employed nurses. This was confirmed to reporters by Thierry Pesce, president of the regional branch of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of the professional nursing association. “This is a tragedy. We all know each other. We are a small, close-knit community. It was a parachute jump, a friendly, joyful event that ended in disaster. Our profession is going through difficult times; due to the heat, our colleagues probably needed a rest. This is a tragedy,” Pesce said during a visit to the crash site.

The Pilatus PC6, registered in Germany, crashed onto the road near the local Auchan supermarket, missing any residential buildings. Due to the threat of an explosion, the crash area was cordoned off and 25 fire engines were mobilized. An emergency medical and psychological assistance unit has been deployed at the Espace Jean Jaurès airfield in Tomblain. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez is due to arrive at the site in the evening. The causes of the crash are unknown.