Two people have died after a small plane crashed into the terrace of a residential building in western Germany on Saturday.
Local police say the collision happened in Korschenbroich, near the city of Mönchengladbach and the Dutch border.
According to German publication BILD, the pilot was attempting to land minutes away in Mönchengladbach but reportedly experienced mechanical problems mid-air.
The aircraft hit the terrace of the building, with a fire breaking out. Local reports say the collision sparked a large emergency services presence at the scene, with firefighters, police, and rescue teams present.
The property has been left severely damaged by the crash and suffered fire and structural damage. A blaze at the property caused black clouds of smoke to billow into the sky above Korschenbroich on the Lower Rhine.
According to the German news agency dpa, police said two people died, with one of the victims likely to be the plane’s pilot. A spokesman for the police added it wasn’t immediately clear whether the other person had been on the plane or on the ground.
An investigation into the circumstances of the plane crash is underway, with authorities stating they had no immediate information on the cause of the crash.