A tragic incident unfolded on Sunday when a medical transport plane crashed shortly after taking off from London Southend Airport, resulting in the deaths of four foreign nationals. The aircraft, which was en route to the Netherlands, went down at approximately 3.48pm.

Among those on board were two Dutch pilots and a Chilean nurse, as reported by the PA news agency. The plane had just dropped off a patient at Southend and was returning to its base in the Netherlands when the accident occurred.

Witnesses described a harrowing scene, with one bystander, John Johnson, recounting a “big fireball” as the plane crashed. Johnson, who was at the airport with his family, stated, “We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us.” He observed that shortly after take-off, the aircraft began to bank heavily to the left before inverting and crashing into the ground.

Essex Police confirmed the fatalities, stating, “Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died. We are working to officially confirm their identities. At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals.”

Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin provided further details, explaining that the aircraft had landed earlier in the day before taking off for the Netherlands. He added, “Shortly after take-off, it got into difficulty and crashed within the airport boundary.”

The airport has been closed until further notice as emergency services and air accident investigators work at the scene. Jude Winstanley, the airport's chief executive, expressed gratitude to the emergency services for their efforts during this difficult time.

Lisa Fitzsimons from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) stated, “It is too early to speculate” on the cause of the crash. The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.