Plane crashed in Sweden: nine dead

Nine people died after a plane carrying crashed paratroopers Sweden. The plane would not have a black box and the cause of the accident could not therefore be identified.

The tragic event happened Thursday afternoon at Örebro Airport, about 160 kilometers west of Stockholm. Hours after paramedics worked at the scene, police confirmed the plane was carrying nine people, including a pilot and eight paratroopers, and that they all died.

“It crashed after take off,” added Emil Gustavsson, leader of rescue at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center, in front of the local TT news agency. “They did not travel more than a few hundred meters before it crashed,” noted flight expert Christer Åström.

Local media said the De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver single-engine propeller plane caught fire after crashing, although the flames were quickly extinguished. Emergency services, including 10 ambulances, rushed to the scene but the death of the victims was immediate. Rescue services located the plane next to one of the runways, said Carl-Johan Linde, spokesperson for the Swedish Maritime Authority.

The Swedish accident investigation authority has already opened an investigation into the event, but the aircraft might not have a black box as there is no official requirement for this type of fleet.