London Southend Airport will remain closed indefinitely following a plane crash that resulted in a significant fireball. Essex Police received reports of the incident shortly before 4pm on Sunday, describing it as a serious situation. While the exact number of casualties has not been confirmed, images shared on social media depicted a large plume of fire and black smoke rising from the crash site.

Zeusch Aviation, the operator of the flight involved, confirmed that its SUZ1 flight had been in an accident at the airport. The company stated, "We are actively supporting the authorities with the investigation. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected."

In the wake of the crash, all flights to and from Southend Airport have been cancelled. The airport has advised passengers scheduled to travel on Monday to contact their airlines for further information. A spokesperson for Southend Airport expressed their condolences, stating, "Our thoughts are with those affected by today’s events and all passengers impacted by this disruption. We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments."

Witness John Johnson, who was at the airport with his family, recounted the harrowing moment of the crash. He described seeing a "big fireball" as the plane crashed headfirst into the ground. Johnson stated, "We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us. The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take-off, powered up, rolled down the runway. It took off and about three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head first into the ground."

He added, "There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it. I just feel sad for the people who were on the plane and, of course, their loved ones."

As a precaution, police evacuated nearby Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club, although the rugby club chairman stated that evacuation was not necessary. James Philpott, a bartender at the golf club, described feeling a "big heat wave" before witnessing the fireball. He said, "I was just basically in a hut like in the middle of the course and I didn’t even see any plane go down or anything and I just felt like a big heat wave come through and I looked up and there was just a massive fireball basically 100 foot in the sky."

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander referred to the incident as "tragic" and expressed her condolences on social media, stating, "My thoughts are with all those involved. The emergency services are on scene and are advising the public to avoid the area where possible. I am monitoring the situation closely and receiving regular updates."

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service dispatched multiple crews to the scene, including units from Southend, Rayleigh Weir, and Basildon, along with off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford. The East of England Ambulance Service reported that four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, and several other emergency vehicles were also sent to assist.

Local MP David Burton-Sampson urged the public to stay away from the area to allow emergency services to carry out their work. He stated, "I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved."

The airport confirmed that the incident involved a general aviation aircraft and is cooperating closely with local authorities. Essex Police have established a dedicated public portal for those seeking information regarding the crash.