WORLD NEWS

Two French planes crash in mid-air, killing five

Two small planes have collided in mid-air before crashing in western central France, killing five people, local officials say.

The collision between two light aircraft happened south-east of the city of Tours at about 16:30 local time (15:30 BST) on Saturday.

Emergency crew, including about 50 firefighters, were called to the scene. They cordoned off the crash sites.

No-one else was harmed when the planes came down.

The smaller aircraft, a microlight carrying two people, landed on a fence around a house in the town of Loches, situated about 46km (29 miles) south-east of Tours.

A witness told AFP news agency it burst into flames after landing on the house’s electricity meter.

The larger plane, a Diamond DA40, landed more than a 100m (328ft) away in an uninhabited area. It had three tourists on board.

“All five people involved died,” local government official Nadia Seghier told AFP.

“Air emergency staff from Lyon were brought in at first to track down the plane, which was quickly found.”

There were no immediate details about the identities of the victims or the cause of the collision.

Local police have launched an investigation into the incident.

The crash sites have been blockaded and residents have been told to stay in their homes, a witness said.

Witness Genevieve Allouard-Liebert, who lives in the area, said she had heard a “big crash” when the planes came down. She said she and her husband saw a man fall from the larger plane as it skimmed nearby rooftops.

Mid-air collisions between small aircraft are considered to be rare. One fatal incident in France happened over Quiberon Bay off the coast of Brittany in 1998, when a Beechcraft 1900D collided in mid-air with a light aircraft, killing 15 people.

“There’s never any air traffic around Loches, it’s an unlikely and unbelievable accident,” the town’s mayor Marc Angenault said.

 

 

Source: BBC

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

Related Articles

Back to top button