Multiple casualties were reported after a small private plane crashed in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood of San Diego early Thursday. While the authorities are yet to reveal the exact number of deaths, San Diego Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief Dan Eddy told NBC 7 that “all the fatalities appear to be from the plane.”
Multiple dead after Cessna 550 crashes in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighbourhood
“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,” Eddy further said.
While the number of people onboard the flight at the time of the crash currently remains unknown, the aircraft can hold up to 8 to 10 people, including the pilot.
Around 3:47 am on Thursday, a Cessna 550 crashed near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, leaving a “gigantic debris field” of burnt-up houses and cars.
“When it hit the street, as the jet fuel went down, it took out every single car that was on both sides of the street on fire,” Eddy went on, adding, “So if you saw the scene... you could see that every single car was burning down both sides of the street.”
Due to the harrowing crash, a large number of residents, along with their pets, were evacuated.
{{/usCountry}}Due to the harrowing crash, a large number of residents, along with their pets, were evacuated.
{{/usCountry}}“Our Humane Law Enforcement is at the scene helping pets and their owners who have been evacuated due to a plane crash in Murphy Canyon. They are ensuring no medical attention is needed,” San Diego Humane Society said in a statement shared on X.
Meanwhile, Capt. Bob Heely, the commanding officer of Naval Base San Diego, said, “This is one of the largest military housing units in the world,” referring to the crash site.
“Our foremost concern right now is to make sure we have the safety of our families that reside in the neighborhood behind us,” Heely added, per the outlet.