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A rescuer works at the site of a plane crash in Tomblaine, France, on June 28, 2026. (Christian Hartmann/Reuters via CNN Newsource)
By Billy Stockwell, Niamh Kennedy, CNN
(CNN) — Eleven people were killed on Sunday when a skydiving plane crashed in the northeastern French town of Tomblaine, according to a regional official.
The aircraft – which was carrying 11 people – crashed at 11 a.m. local time during a skydiving session, according to Yves Séguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region where the plane went down.
Five instructors and five independent nurses appeared to be among the casualties, CNN affiliate BFMTV cited Thierry Pechey, president of the Meurthe-et-Moselle Council of Independent Nurses as saying. The pilot also died in the crash.
A significant emergency response was mobilized, with police units and 50 firefighters deployed to the scene, according to local authorities.
The deadly incident comes just weeks after a skydiving plane crashed moments after takeoff in western Missouri, killing 12 people and reviving a longstanding debate over the regulation of skydiving planes.
In France, Séguy told BFMTV the plane crashed “almost vertically, right next to a housing development” on the edge of the airfield. “There were many witnesses at the scene of the accident,” including relatives of the victims, he said.
No bystanders were among the casualties, according to Séguy.
‘We are awaiting the arrival of the forensic team to conduct the standard investigation,” Séguy said. The local official added that the French interior minister would visit the scene on Sunday.
“We stand together with all involved, emergency services and all the elected officials around me,” Séguy added. “Our thoughts are with the victims and with their loved ones.”
‘They had all died instantly’
A witness to the crash, who was driving at the time, told Reuters news agency he saw the plane climbing into the air before suddenly veering to the right. “Something was clearly wrong. By the time I reached the roundabout, circled back and parked near the fire truck, a man was already on the scene trying to put out the flames,” the witness, who did not provide his name, said.
“We saw right away that it was over, that they had all died instantly. There was no movement, and it was clear the impact had been too violent for there to be any survivors,” he added.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot called the crash a “terrible tragedy” with a “particularly high” death toll. He also confirmed on X that he would travel to Meurthe-et-Moselle on Sunday afternoon.
This story has been updated with additional details.
The-CNN-Wire
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