Eleven killed after skydivers plane crashes in eastern France

A plane carrying skydivers crashed in eastern France overnight, killing 11 people, including the pilot and 10 passengers, local officials said.

The incident occurred in the Ardennes region, on a farm airstrip near the village of Villeroy. According to eyewitnesses, the plane was engulfed in flames after it crashed, and passengers were reportedly trapped inside.

A spokesperson for the regional authorities said that the cause of the crash was still under investigation, but that it was initially suspected that the pilot had experienced technical difficulties.

France's civil aviation authority has dispatched investigators to the scene to carry out an inquiry into the incident, which is being treated as a major accident.

The dead were among a group of skydivers who had travelled to the region to take part in a jumping competition. The competition was being held at a nearby skydiving centre.

According to local reports, the victims included five first-time parachutists who were among the group.

A witness at the scene told the BBC that the plane had been seen taking off from the airstrip before it crashed.

'I was standing nearby when I heard a loud boom. I turned around and saw a huge fireball rising into the air,' the witness said.

Another witness described the scene at the crash site as 'extremely bad', adding that 'the smell of smoke was everywhere.'

The incident is the latest in a series of plane crashes in France in recent years, and it is likely to spark renewed calls for safety measures to be improved in the country.