Small plane crash at mobile home park claims several lives

A small plane crash on a mobile home park near Clearwater, Florida, has killed several people, with fire erupting in the nearby houses, NBC reported.

The crash occurred on Thursday night around 7pm. The pilot of the Beechcraft Bonanza V35 had reported an engine failure before the crash on Monday at a nearby airport, after which the aircraft went off the radar around 3 miles from the runway.

The number of deaths isn’t confirmed yet as firefighters are busy cooling the blaze.

"I can confirm that we have several fatalities, both from the aircraft and within the mobile home," said Clearwater Fire Chief Scott Ehler.

“At least three homes had fire damage; aside from the home that was directly struck, the people in the other homes were able to get out," he said.

Ehler said he expected more injuries and more damage from a plane crash in a compact residential area.

"We were very fortunate," he told reporters at the scene.

The Federal Aviation Administration has reported that the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

In a video floating online of the crash, a field of wreckage can be seen, including houses burning.