A plane has crashed into a building near Milan, eight dead

A small private plane sand crashed into a building on Calle Marignano, in San Donato Milanese (Milan) and the eight people on board have died, including a wealthy Romanian businessman

The deceased are the pilot, co-pilot, five adults and one child

The plane had taken off from Linate, Milan’s international airport, bound for Olbia, a coastal town in the northeast of the island of Sardinia.

The plane came across an empty building under renovation, used as offices and parking for buses. Residents of the area heard a loud whistle and then an explosion, caused by the impact

The flames immediately engulfed the two-story building on Calle 8 Ottobre 2001, at the corner of Marignano, a few steps from the headquarters of ENI (national hydrocarbons body) in San Donato and the yellow metro terminal in Milan.

“The impact was devastating,” said Carlo Cardinali, a Milan fire officer, who arrived at the scene of the accident.

“Currently only one body has been identified“he added, and explained that the plane crashed into the facade of the building

The National Aviation Safety Agency (ANSV) opened an investigation and ordered the dispatch of an investigator to the field

As the agency has reconstructed it so far, “the PC-12 aircraft, identification mark YR-PDV, took off from Linate at 1:04 p.m. towards Olbia and struck a building and caught fire”

Early data indicates that the pilot was Dan Petrescu, owner of the plane, considered one of the richest men in Romania. He was 68 years old, of dual German and Romanian nationality, and was a major investor in the real estate sector in his country.

Among the victims, his 30-year-old son, Dan Stefan Petrescu, initially designated as the pilot of the plane, born in Munich and also having dual nationality, and his 65-year-old wife, born in Romania with French nationality.

Along with them, five other people had not yet been identified

“The plane He had an engine on fire and he jumped up, no maneuver was seen, it just crashed “, according to witnesses who saw the accident

“I heard an airplane about to fall, the propellers stopping, then I felt the windows shake and, like in the movies, I went to the window and saw a column of smoke s ‘raising,’ says a child who lives a few dozen meters away. away from the building in which the plane crashed

In the area there are still rescuers who cover the remains of the 8 victims with sheets

“I saw a plane lose control, I saw it just as it crashed. I saw it collapse. The plane was low. And then a lot of smoke, flames. Pieces were flying in the sky, “said Andrea, 19.

“He was very scared. Then the police and the riflemen arrived. Fortunately the street was empty, there was no one,” he added.

(ANSA)