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A small passenger plane carrying five people has crashed into a house shortly after take-off north of the Philippines capital of Manila, killing all those onboard and five people on the ground, officials have said.
- The Piper-23 Apache plane had just taken off when it crash-landed into a house
- Five people on the plane and five on the ground were killed
- All Lite Air Express aircraft are grounded while investigations are undertaken
The Piper-23 Apache plane took off from the airport in Plaridel town in Bulacan province then crash-landed, smashing into the house, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio and police said.
All five Filipinos on board the six-seat plane were killed, and the crash killed five people on the ground, Plaridel police chief Superintendent Julio Lizardo said.
The crash ignited a fire in a house that was hit, he said.
Two other people on the ground were injured by burning debris, Mr Lizardo said.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Witnesses said the plane hit a tree and electric post before slamming into the house.
TV footage showed parts of the plane wreckage and the shattered walls of the house at the still-smouldering crash site.
Mr Apolonio said the aircraft, which was operated by Lite Air Express, was bound for northern Laoag city.
All the aircraft operated by the transport and courier company were grounded while investigators tried to determine the cause of the crash, he said.
AP
Topics: air-and-space, air-transport, industrial-fires, death, philippines, asia