French skydiving plane crashes near Nancy killing all 11 on board, says prefect

Five pairs of students and instructors dead along with pilot after plane reportedly fell suddenly near aerodrome

A skydiving plane has crashed in north-eastern France , killing all 11 people on board, according to the region’s prefect.

The parachuting-school plane crashed near Nancy at 11am, said Yves Séguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region.

The pilot and 10 passengers – five ‌students and five instructors – died, the prefecture reported.

Séguy said: “The plane, which was transporting 11 people, fell suddenly immediately next to the aerodrome. There were no collateral victims.”

Emergency services responded immediately, and authorities were collecting witness statements, he said.

The French interior minister, Laurent Nunez, was on his ​way to ​the ​scene, his staff ‌said.