Nine dead in plane crash in Sweden

All occupants were killed in the serious accident. Skydivers set off from the airport in Örebro, Sweden, but shortly after takeoff, the plane crashes and bursts into flames. None of the occupants survive.

Nine people have died in a serious plane crash in Sweden. Eight parachutists and a pilot died when a small plane hired by the local parachute club crashed and caught fire shortly after takeoff at the airport in the city of Örebro on Thursday evening. No one on board the propeller plane survived, according to the Swedish police in charge of the case.

It was a very tragic accident, Deputy Regional Police Chief Niclas Hallgren said at a press conference this morning. He said the scope of the tragedy became immediately clear to emergency personnel when they arrived at the scene of the accident. "There were no lives to save," said fire chief Per-Ove Staberyd.

Nine Dead In Sweden Skydiving Plane Crash - Sweden is in mourning after nine people lost their lives in a skydiving plane crash. The flight was part of a “jumping week” skydiving ev... - https://t.co/abMQYRp4Fw pic.twitter.com/XeJU01LNZo — Refess.com (@Refess) July 9, 2021

The Swedish Accident Investigation Commission launched investigations to determine the cause of the accident. A local resident told the newspaper Aftonbladet that he heard a very loud bang and initially thought it was a car accident. Then, he said, he saw black smoke rising.

Örebro, with a population of just under 115,000, is located nearly 200 kilometers west of Stockholm. Many Swedes reacted with dismay to the accident. "My thoughts are with those affected, their families and loved ones at this very difficult moment," Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said. Numerous other top politicians also expressed their condolences to the relatives. He lit a candle in memory, wrote, for example, Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlén on Instagram.

At the same time, memories of a very similar accident almost exactly two years ago were awakened: At that time, nine people were also killed in a crash of a small plane with parachutists near the northern Swedish city of Umeå. The accident also occurred shortly after takeoff, when the aircraft plunged nose-first toward the ground at high speed.

We were deeply saddened to learn about the tragic crash that took place last night in #Örebro in #Sweden. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families and loved ones of the victims.