Eleven people were killed when a small plane crashed in the northeastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday, the local prefecture said.

Reuters reports, the plane belonged to a parachutist ⁠school. The pilot and all 10 passengers - five students and five instructors - died in the accident, the prefecture said.

The French interior minister was on his way to the scene, the interior ministry said.

Yves Seguy, the regional prefect, told broadcaster ⁠BFM the aircraft appeared to suffer damage before plunging vertically to the ground. The crash occurred in a built-up ⁠area near a shopping centre.

"Give or take a few meters and the accident could have ⁠caused collateral casualties," Seguy said.

The local prosecutor did not immediately respond ⁠to a request for comment.