'Ball of fire' as plane crashes into Florida trailer park

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/14/ball-of-fire-as-plane-crashes-into-florida-trailer-park

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A small plane crashed into a mobile home park in Florida, authorities said, and two of the mobile homes reportedly caught fire.

The aircraft hit two homes at the Mar-Mak Colony Club in Palm Springs before 6pm, said Albert Borroto, the Palm Beach county fire and rescue captain. Responding crews reported a visible column of smoke after 911 callers reported a low-flying aircraft, he said.

Borroto said one mobile home was completely engulfed in flames and there were an “unknown number of victims”. The Red Cross was called to assist two families, he said.

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Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen confirmed Tuesday evening’s crash.

The fires were extinguished but plumes of smoke were still rising from the scene hours later, illuminated by floodlights.

Clara Ingram, who lives in the trailer park, told the Associated Press she was home at the time. “I just heard the noise,” Ingram said. “It just pounded, like an explosion.”

She said she went to look out her door. “Nothing but a big ball of fire,” Ingram said.

Arthur Grimes, who said his friend lived in the trailer park, told the Palm Beach Post and the Sun Sentinel newspapers that he saw the small plane drop out of the sky, crash into the trailer park and burst into flames.