FRANCE – A civilian aircraft crash killed 11 people in the eastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday 28 June, local authorities said, hours after a Saudi Aramco helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura, killing all 14 people on board.

The plane belonged to a local parachutist school and was carrying an experienced pilot along with five students and five instructors, according to several sources. All 11 people on board died in the accident.

Yves Seguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, confirmed the death toll, which included the pilot and 10 passengers.

According to RTL Today, the aircraft took off from the Nancy-Essey aerodrome at around 11:00 local time and went down shortly after takeoff.

Local reports indicate the victims included independent nurses from Nancy who were taking part in a first-time skydiving session, AFP said.

Emergency services, including a heavy presence of firefighters and medical teams, were deployed immediately to the crash site.

Local authorities and the Meurthe-et-Moselle national police urged the public to completely avoid the Salvador Allende Street area to ensure roads remained clear for emergency responders. There was also an initial fear of the aircraft exploding.

France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and regional prefect Yves Séguy rushed to the scene. Reuters reported that the interior minister was on his way to the crash site.

An official investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the crash, AFP said.

The incident marks one of the deadliest aviation accidents in France in recent years. Skydiving operations typically involve strict safety protocols, and investigators will examine whether mechanical failure, human error, or other factors contributed to the tragedy.

Sources: BBC, AFP, Reuters and RTL Today.