Plane Crash in London Shuts Down Southend Airport Completely

A small plane crashed at London Southend Airport in Essex County, eastern England, leading to the complete closure of the airport and the suspension of all flights to and from it until further notice.

Police and emergency services announced that the incident occurred before 4 p.m. local time yesterday, indicating that the plane was about 12 meters long, without specifying the number of people on board.

The airport issued a statement on the "X" platform confirming the cancellation of all flights, while emergency teams and aviation accident investigators continue to work at the scene of the crash.

British media outlets circulated images of a massive fireball rising above the airport, while Reuters could not verify their authenticity.

The plane was en route to the Netherlands and crashed shortly after takeoff, with the East of England Ambulance Service sending four ambulances and several emergency vehicles to the site.

The airport's official website showed the cancellation of at least five international flights following the incident, while Essex Police confirmed that they are dealing with a "serious incident" and are continuing to investigate its causes and circumstances.