Plane Crash at London Southend Airport Results in Four Fatalities
London Southend Airport is currently closed following a deadly plane crash that occurred on Sunday, as confirmed by chief executive Jude Winstanley. The incident took place just before 16:00 BST, when Essex Police were notified of a 12-metre aircraft engulfed in flames.
Dutch aviation firm Zeusch Aviation has confirmed that its SUZ1 flight was “involved in an accident” and is working in conjunction with authorities. The aircraft had taken off from Athens, made a stop in Pula, Croatia, and had landed in Southend before it was set to return to Lelystad, Netherlands.
Eyewitness John Johnson from Billericay recounted seeing the aircraft take off and then abruptly banking sharply to the left before crashing. “Within moments, the aircraft nearly inverted and struck the ground. There was a massive fireball,” he reported to the BBC.
Emergency services from Southend, Rayleigh Weir, Basildon, Billericay, and Chelmsford quickly responded to the incident. The East of England Ambulance Service sent multiple teams, including four ambulances, a rapid response unit, and air ambulance assistance.
Sadly, all four people on board lost their lives. Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin indicated that the victims are thought to be foreign nationals, although their identities have not yet been disclosed.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and airport operations remain suspended until further notice.
Authorities are continuing to collect information as the community grieves the tragic loss.