9 Dead after Twin-Engine Aircraft Crashes in Hawaii


9 Dead after Twin-Engine Aircraft Crashes in Hawaii

TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Nine people are dead after a twin-engine aircraft went down near a Hawaii airfield Friday night, officials said.

The crash occurred near Dillingham Airfield, on the north shore of Oahu, the Hawaii Department of Transportation said.

Nine people were aboard the King Air twin-engine plane, and Honolulu's fire chief said that there are no survivors.

The transportation agency had initially said first responders reported six deaths.

"It's very difficult. In my 40 years as a firefighter here in Hawaii, this is the most tragic aircraft incident we've had," Fire Chief Manuel Neves said, according to NBC affiliate KHNL.

Officials with the Honolulu Fire Department told KHNL that the first reports of a downed aircraft came in at 6:30 p.m., and when firefighters arrived they found the wreckage of the plane fully engulfed in flames.

The airport is a public and military use airport, but officials told the station that the plane that crashed was not a military aircraft. Neves told reporters that the intent of the flight was still being determined.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation operates Dillingham Airfield, according to its website.

Kirk Caldwell, mayor of the city and county of Honolulu, said in a statement that he was closely following developments.

"At this time our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victims," Caldwell said.

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