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Light plane crashes into Melbourne shopping complex Light plane crashes into Melbourne shopping complex
(35 minutes later)
A plane carrying five people has crashed into a Melbourne shopping complex, Australian authorities say. A plane carrying five people has crashed into a Melbourne shopping centre, Australian authorities say.
"It appears a light plane, which is a charter flight, has impacted the DFO [building] at Essendon Fields," Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Police have not released details of possible casualties. The complex was not open at the time and one retailer said all its staff were accounted for.
Police have not released details of possible casualties, while a retailer said all its staff were accounted for. The charter flight appeared to have had "catastrophic engine failure" on take-off from Melbourne's small Essendon Airport, said Supt Mick Frewen.
The crash happened near Melbourne's small Essendon Airport. "Close to taking off from the runway, it called in a mayday," he said.
Ms Neville said it appeared the five people were travelling to Tasmania's King Island, in nearby Bass Strait. Victoria's Police Minister Lisa Neville said the five people were travelling to Tasmania's King Island, in nearby Bass Strait.
"It appears to be a very, very tragic accident that has occurred out there," she said. "It appears to be a very, very tragic accident that has occurred out there," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
A spokeswoman for Spotlight, a retailer in the complex, said the plane crashed into its rear warehouse but all staff were safe.A spokeswoman for Spotlight, a retailer in the complex, said the plane crashed into its rear warehouse but all staff were safe.
Essendon Airport is small airfield mostly used by light planes about 13km (8 miles) north-west of central Melbourne. Essendon Airport, mostly used by light planes, is about 13km (8 miles) north-west of central Melbourne.
Damage at sceneDamage at scene
Video broadcast on local media showed black smoke rising from the wreckage. Footage broadcast on local media showed fire and black smoke at the wreckage.
Witness Daniel May said he was waiting for the shopping centre to open when the the plane came down. "Immediately I could tell it was something horrific, the explosion would have gone 30m [100ft] high and ballooned upwards in red and black," witness Mikey Cahill told the Herald Sun.
Another witness, Daniel May, said he was waiting for the shopping centre to open when the plane came down.
"There was an orange explosion and then smoke," he told The Age. "Emergency crews rushed very quickly in, soon after, and I left the area.""There was an orange explosion and then smoke," he told The Age. "Emergency crews rushed very quickly in, soon after, and I left the area."
Police said they were evacuating the scene and a nearby freeway was closed in both directions. Police said they were evacuating the area and a nearby freeway was closed in both directions.
King Island, popular for its beaches and dairy farms, lies 245km (150 miles) south of Victoria. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would investigate the crash.
King Island, popular for its beaches and dairy farms, lies 245km (150 miles) south of Melbourne in Bass Strait.