5 dead in plane crash at Malta airport

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) – Five people were killed after a small passenger plane crashed at Malta International Airport on Monday, leaving no survivors, according to local press reports.

The light aircraft, registered to Luxembourg, went down shortly after takeoff for reasons unknown, said the Times of Malta, with photos of fire and smoke coming from the wreckage.

The plane was bound from the small Mediterranean island nation south of Sicily to the coastal town of Misurata, Libya.

The victims of the crash have not been identified. Initial reports said that EU officials had been on board, but EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini wrote on Twitter that no officials were involved and the flight was unrelated to EU activities.

The airport is closed until further notice, according to its website.