A medical transport aircraft, carrying a pediatric patient and five others, crashed in Philadelphia shortly after takeoff. A fireball from the powerful explosion engulfed several homes.
"We cannot confirm the presence of survivors," stated Jet Rescue Air Ambulance. "We are concerned about the patient's family, our staff, their families, and other victims who may have been affected on the ground."
City Mayor Sherell Parker said at a press conference that no information about casualties on the ground had been reported yet, although several homes and vehicles were damaged.
"This is still an active scene, and an investigation is underway," she said.
The crash occurred just two days after the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in decades.
On Wednesday evening, an American Airlines plane, with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, collided in mid-air with a military helicopter in Washington. There were no survivors from this incident.
A doorbell camera in Philadelphia captured footage showing the plane descending and exploding as it fell to the ground near a shopping mall and a roadway.
"We only heard a loud roar and didn’t know where it was coming from. We just turned around and saw a large plume," said Jim Quinn, a homeowner.
The crash occurred less than four kilometers from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.
The Learjet 55 quickly disappeared from radar after taking off from the airport at 6:06 PM and climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 meters).
It was headed to Springfield, Missouri, and was registered to Med Jets, according to Flight Aware, a flight tracking website. Reports indicate that a girl from Mexico was on board, returning home with her mother after receiving treatment in the U.S.
President Donald Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social that he was "so saddened" to witness the crash.
"Even more innocent souls lost," he noted.
The plane fell onto a busy intersection next to Roosevelt Mall, an open-air shopping center in the densely populated area of Rounhurst.
The aircraft's owner, Jet Rescue, provides air ambulance services worldwide. The investigation will be led by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Local media report that oxygen tanks on board the medical aircraft may have exploded.