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Small plane crashes into Philadelphia neighbourhood, causing explosions
A small plane with six aboard has crashed into several buildings in north-east Philadelphia, setting homes and vehicles ablaze, and injuring people on the ground.
The jet was on a medical transport mission on Friday evening and was carrying four crew members, a child patient and the patient’s escort, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the medical aircraft company, told Reuters and other US media.
“We know that there will be loss,” Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro said during a news conference at the scene of the crash, calling it an “awful aviation disaster”.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene during evening rush hour, as residents crowded streets that were littered with fiery debris and pieces of the aircraft. Many described a chaotic scene with injured people running and a neighbourhood block on fire.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said city officials do not know the number of fatalities, but the city is “asking for prayers for anyone and everyone that may have been affected”.
“If you see debris, call 911, don’t touch anything,” she told city residents.
The crash happened just blocks from the Roosevelt Mall, a three-story shopping centre in a densely populated part of the Pennsylvania city.
The area where the crash occurred is filled with terraced housing and shops.
Disturbing videos of the incident online show the plane coming down quickly and sparking a huge fireball that rocketed into the sky.
Witnesses describes shrapnel from the crash damaging cars, and strewing burning debris into the streets. Photos of the aftermath of the incident show cars burned and mangled in the streets as more fires are ablaze on the sidewalk.
The plane, a Learjet 55, took off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport about 18:30 local time and crashed less than four miles (6.4km) away, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA said in a statement that the flight was en-route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. At first, the agency said two people were on the plane but later revised that to six.
According to data on FlightAware, a flight tracking website, the plane was operated by a company called Med Jets, and had arrived in Philadelphia from Florida less than four hours earlier.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating.
In a statement, President Donald Trump said his administration was “totally engaged”.
“So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost,” he said.
Weather forecasts in the area show it’s been a cloudy and rainy evening with winds measured around 10 to 20 mph.
One witness told local media that the explosion “lit up the whole sky”.
“I just saw a plane basically hit the building and it exploded. The sky lit up and I pulled over and basically, it was just real bad around here,” the witness told WPVI-TV, describing the crash as feeling like an earthquake.
Ryan Tian, 23, told The Philadelphia Inquirer said he was getting dinner when he saw a “massive fireball” that turned the sky orange.
“I thought we were getting attacked by something,” he said. As he saw people start to flee, he decided to get “outta there”.
The plane crash comes just two days after a much larger collision happened between a commercial jet and a military helicopter in Washington DC, where officials suspect all 67 people aboard both aircraft were killed.
It was the deadliest plane crash in the US in over 20 years.
Latest News
Heat Index at Caution Level at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar and Vavuniya districts
Warm Weather Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 16 March 2026, valid for 17 March 2026
The general public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar and Vavuniya districts.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
The Ecuadorean government has deployed more than 75,000 police officers and soldiers to four of the country’s most violence-wracked provinces, the interior minister says.
The authorities have also declared a night-time curfew in these areas as part of a “new phase” in their “war” on criminal gangs.
Since coming to office in November 2023, President Daniel Noboa has tried to quell drug-related violence but nevertheless Ecuador registered a record murder rate in 2025.
Noboa has also joined a US-led alliance of 17 countries aimed at fighting criminal cartels in the Western Hemisphere.
“We’re at war,” Ecuadorean Interior Minister John Reimberg told residents of the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.
“Don’t take any risks, don’t go out, stay at home,” he added.
Ecuador’s geographical location – sandwiched between Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest producers of cocaine – has turned it into a key transit country for the illicit drug.
Around 70% of the cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru is estimated to be shipped through Ecuador.
Noboa’s government has been working with the administration of US President Donald Trump to quell the flow of cocaine from Ecuador to the US.
Last week, the FBI opened its first office in the Andean country, a move which came shortly after the two countries launched joint counter-narcotic operations.
Noboa was one of the Latin American leaders to attend an international meeting hosted by Trump in Mar-a-Lago, which the US authorities dubbed the “Shield of the Americas” summit.
At the summit, Trump likened criminal gangs to a “cancer” and urged his Latin American counterparts to use military force to root them out.
“We don’t want it spreading,” Trump added.
Following the meeting, Noboa posted a photo on social media of himself standing next to Trump with the words: “For too long, the mafias thought that America was their territory. That they could cross borders, move drugs, guns and [spread] violence without consequences. Their time has run out.”
Since coming to office, Noboa has tried to combat criminal organisations in his country with an iron fist and has declared several states of emergency but nevertheless the murder rate rose by over 30% between 2024 and 2025.
[BBC]
The Commissioner General of Essential Services, Prabath Chandrakeerthi has announced that, after taking into consideration the current fuel situation in Sri Lanka, the Government has decided to declare Wednesdays of every week as a holiday for government sector employees, all government schools, universities, and courts with effect from March 18, 2026, until further notice
The holiday will not apply to essential service sectors including Healthcare, Ports, Water Supply and Customs.
Pakistan lodge official complaint about Bangladesh’s review at end of chase
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces after 2.00 pm.
Government’s objective is to ensure the continuous functioning of the country’s economic activities and essential services through effective energy management – President
UN resolution on Iran ‘unbalanced’: FM Herath
Japan provides grant for reinforcement of Cyclone Ditwah damaged bridge
Australian HC debunks misleading travel risk claims for Sri Lanka
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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