Nine killed as Learjet crashes in Florida residential area

A Learjet 60 business jet crashed in a residential area of South Florida on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard, US officials said.

The aircraft crashed near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County, Florida, at around 12:50 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The private jet had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities, describing the incident as a horrific tragedy. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also confirmed the deaths and said there were no reported casualties on the ground.

Videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft plunging towards the ground before exploding near a roadway, leaving a large crater and scattering debris across the area.

The crash also prompted authorities to evacuate residents from a nearby mobile home park. Around 600 people were being relocated to two shelters as emergency teams responded to the incident.

According to air traffic control recordings, the aircraft's cockpit reported ice accumulation and moderate turbulence shortly before the crash. The pilot subsequently declared an emergency, reporting an increasingly rapid descent.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation, with support from the FAA, to determine the cause of the crash.

Bombardier, the Canadian manufacturer of the Learjet 60, said it would cooperate fully with authorities investigating the incident.

The identities of those killed had not been released at the time of reporting, and investigators had yet to establish what caused the aircraft to crash.