Ankara: Eleven people were killed when a civilian aircraft crashed near the eastern French city of Nancy on Sunday, local authorities said. The tragic incident has left the community in shock as emergency services rushed to the scene.

According to Anadolu Agency, the aircraft went down in the town of Tomblaine, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, shortly after taking off from Nancy-Essey Airport. The prefecture and the French broadcaster BFM TV reported that all 11 individuals on board, including the pilot, perished in the crash. The passengers included two groups of five parachutists engaged in a skydiving session.

Thierry Pechey, head of the Meurthe-et-Moselle branch of the Order of Independent Nurses, informed BFMTV that the victims seemed to include independent nurses who were participating in what he described as an initiation event, in addition to skydiving instructors.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez is anticipated to visit the crash site later Sunday, according to his office. In response to the accident, Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefect Yves Seguy has activated the departmental operational center to manage emergency services and oversee the response in real time.

Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area around Rue Salvador Allende in Tomblaine to ensure emergency responders and law enforcement have unrestricted access to the crash site.