Just two days on since a devastating plane crash claimed the lives of 67 people in DC, another plane crash has now been confirmed in the area of Northeast Philadelphia near Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard just after 6 p.m local time on Friday.
According to ABC Action News, the “plane possibly hit several buildings and cars in the area, with multiple casualties now reported at the scene. CBS news crews have also revealed that two people were aboard the plane, according to police.
Police reported several other injuries on the ground. Meanwhile many others in the area have also reported that multiple homes “are on fire in the area of Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard” as rescue crews rush to the area to assess the scene.
Videos taken from the scene have revealed how the situation unfolded, with a large explosion seen right in the centre of a residential neighborhood.Further photos shared online have shown a massive rescue response, with dozens of firetrucks moving towards the area. Other photos show an explosion as the plane went down.
The small plane is understood to be an ‘air ambulance’ and had been carrying doctors and patients before it crashed in Northeast Philadelphia, causing multiple house fires and injuries on the ground. All six individuals on board the flight have now been reported dead.
Reports from those on the ground say that there is a ‘large debris field,’ with multiple cars on fire, and the ‘smell of fuel in the air,’ according to an eye witness calling into LIVENOW.
The aircraft has been identified as a Learjet 55, a Jet Rescue Air Ambulance. The crash site is near Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
As more details begin to emerge, many concerned citizens have taken to social media to express their worries over the incident, as this is now the second devastating plane crash in as many days.
The crash comes two hours after a press conference from the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) confirmed that salvage barges on their way to the site of Wednesday’s mid-air collision involving a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane and a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will work ‘with the coroner’s office’ to make returning remains to families quicker.
Salvage efforts are still on going, with rescuers trawling the wreckage to try and recover the bodies of the 67 people on board so that they can be formally identified and laid to rest. According to CNN, crews have so far recovered 41 bodies from the collision site, with 28 having been identified by loved ones.
