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8 skydivers, 1 pilot killed in small plane crash in Sweden

July 09, 2021
 A small plane carrying skydivers crashed outside the Swedish town of Orebro on Thursday night, killing nine people including the pilot. — Courtesy file photo
A small plane carrying skydivers crashed outside the Swedish town of Orebro on Thursday night, killing nine people including the pilot. — Courtesy file photo

STOCKHOLM — A small plane carrying skydivers crashed outside the Swedish town of Orebro on Thursday night, killing nine people including the pilot.

The small aircraft, a DHC-2 Turbo Beaver, crashed and killed eight skydivers and one pilot. It crashed near the runway at Orebro airport shortly after takeoff and caught fire at impact, the Swedish police said in a statement on its official website.

"It’s a very severe accident. Everyone on board the crashed plane has died,” the statement added.

The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority dispatched a team to the accident site outside Orebro, which sits 164 kilometers west of Stockholm, AP reported.

Expressing grief at the incident, Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Lofven wrote on Twitter, "It is with great sadness and sorrow that I have received the tragic information about the plane crash in Orebro,"

"My thoughts are with the victims, their families and loved ones in this very difficult time,” he added.

This incident comes as a stark reminder for Sweden which witnessed an eerily similar accident in 2019. Nine people had died in northern Sweden when a plane carrying skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff. As per the crash investigation, the plane had been improperly loaded. — Agencies


July 09, 2021
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