A small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from London Southend Airport on Sunday, resulting in the airport being closed until further notice. Authorities have yet to confirm any injuries or fatalities.

Social media footage captured thick black smoke rising from the crash site, obscuring the aircraft completely.

The plane was operated by Zeusch Aviation, a Dutch company, and had previously flown from Athens, Greece, to Pula, Croatia, before arriving in Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad in the Netherlands that evening.

Zeusch Aviation confirmed that its flight SUZ1 was involved in the accident and stated that it is cooperating with the investigation.

The company expressed its condolences, saying, “Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.”

Reports indicate that the aircraft was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, a 12-meter-long turboprop plane equipped for medical evacuations.

Located approximately 72 kilometers east of London, South end Airport has canceled all flights as police, emergency services, and air accident investigators work at the crash site.

Witness John Johnson, who was at the airport with his family, described seeing a “big fireball” as the plane hit the ground. “It took off and about three or four seconds later, it started turning sharply to the left. Then it flipped and crashed head-first into the ground,” he recounted.

Essex Police reported that they were alerted to a “serious incident” just before 4 PM on Sunday.