The idyllic suburban settlement is just a single field of rubble …
A small plane crashed into a residential area in California, USA. Two houses and a delivery truck burned out completely. Two people were killed and several injured in the accident. One of the victims is said to be a UPS driver who was about to deliver a package.
The twin-engine Cessna crashed into the middle of one of the residential buildings in a suburb of Santee, about 30 kilometers northeast of downtown San Diego, and exploded. The flames spread to the neighboring house and the parked delivery truck.
Firefighters try to fight the smoldering firePhoto: Gregory Bull / AP
Deputy fire chief Justin Matsushita said two people died at the scene of the accident and two were hospitalized in unknown conditions. “I don’t want to go into too much detail, but it’s a pretty brutal scene,” said Matsushita.
Witnesses reported that an elderly couple was rescued from one of the two destroyed homes. At least three other buildings were severely damaged.
How many people were on board the plane is still unclear. According to the news channel “NBC 7” The plane was on its way from Yuma, Arizona to San Diego when it had technical problems and tried to make an emergency landing in a nearby field.
Only parts of the facade remained of the housePhoto: Gregory Bull / AP
One resident’s son told NBC 7 that neighbors dragged his mother out of a window in their burning house and rescued his stepfather from the backyard. Apparently her dog died. “This is a war zone. It’s not even a house, “he said after arriving at the scene”.
Andrew Pelloth was working from home when he heard a whir and then a huge bang. “My first thought was that it was a meteorite coming down. I could hear it falling and then some sort of explosion, ”he said. Pelloth saw the van go up in flames and his neighbor’s house across the street on fire.
UPS has since confirmed that one of its employees was killed. “We are heartbroken about the loss of our employee and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends,” said the company.
The crash happened just three blocks from Santana High School. The school announced on Twitter that “all students are safe”.