Fullerton, California: 2 dead, 18 injured after plane crashes through building’s rooftop

FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) – Two people were killed and 18 injured when a small plane crashed through the roof of a commercial building in Southern California on Thursday, police said.

Police received a report at 2:09 p.m. about the crash in the Orange County city of Fullerton, said Kristy Wells, a Fullerton police spokeswoman.

Firefighters and police arrived at the scene and battled a fire that broke out and evacuated surrounding businesses, Wells said.

The fire damaged the warehouse, which appeared to contain sewing machines and textile stock. The building was occupied by Michael Nicholas Designs, an upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door.

Ten people were taken to hospital, while eight were treated and released at the scene, the police said. There were two confirmed deaths, according to Wells.

It was not immediately known what type of plane it was or whether the injured were in the plane or on the ground, Wells said.

Flight tracking website FlightAware shows a four-seat, single-engine plane crashed about a minute after takeoff.

Security camera footage from Rucci Forge, a wheel manufacturer across the street, shows a fiery explosion and a large plume of smoke as the plane appeared to dive into the building on its side.

The plane crashed near Fullerton Municipal Airport, a general aviation airport in Orange County that is about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Disneyland. It has a runway and a heliport. Metrolink, a regional train line, is nearby and flanks a residential neighborhood and commercial warehouses.

Another four-seater plane crashed into a tree half a kilometer from the airport last November while making an emergency landing just after take off. Orange County Register reported. Both people on board were slightly injured.

Fullerton is a city of about 140,000 people about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.

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Associated Press writer Amy Taxin contributed from Orange County.