AFP, Tomblaine

A civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed near the eastern French town of Tomblaine yesterday, killing all 11 people on board, local authorities said, in one of France’s deadliest light aircraft accidents.

The crash killed five instructors, five students, and the pilot, said Yves Seguy, the prefect of the eastern department of Meurthe-et-Moselle.

“There were no bystanders among the victims,” he added, speaking at a press conference.

The aircraft, registered in Germany, crashed in a grassy area near the runway of the Nancy-Essey aerodrome, close to a residential area and two roads, an AFP journalist reported.

The cause of the incident was not immediately clear.

Medical and psychological support teams were caring for relatives of the victims who were present at the airfield, as well as other witnesses.

A technical investigation had been opened, said Amaury Lacote, deputy public prosecutor in the eastern city of Nancy.