Five killed in Melbourne plane crash

MELBOURNE. KAZINFORM Five people have died after a light plane crashed into a shopping center in Melbourne, Australia, Kazinform has learnt from BBC.

The charter flight appeared to have had a "catastrophic engine failure" shortly after taking off from the small Essendon Airport, said Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane.

Everyone on board is believed dead.

"At this stage the advice we have is there are no fatalities other than on the aircraft itself," said the commissioner.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would investigate how the twin-engine Beechcraft B200 King Air crashed.

Police said they were evacuating the area and a nearby freeway was closed in both directions.

King Island, popular for its beaches and dairy farms, lies 245km (150 miles) south of Melbourne in Bass Strait.

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