A mid-sized air ambulance aircraft carrying a sick child and five others crashed on Friday (Jan 31) night shortly after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The plane went down in a residential neighbourhood, sparking at least six house fires.

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All six people on board the plane that crashed in Philadelphia last night were killed, a statement on behalf of Mayor Cherelle Parker said.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a Mexico-based company operating the Learjet 55, said, "At this time we cannot confirm any survivors."

Also read: Black Hawk pilot, ATC missteps, Obama, or DEI hiring: Who's really to blame for the Washington DC plane crash?

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'More innocent souls lost'

Describing the incident as an "awful aviation disaster," Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said, "We know that there will be loss."

US President Donald Trump expressed his condolences on social media and wrote on Truth Social, "So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job."

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Footage of the crash circulating online captures the aircraft descending rapidly before erupting into a massive fireball.

Also read: Washington Plane Crash: Helicopter black box found; 41 bodies recovered, search for remaining 26 victims on

According to Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all six individuals aboard the aircraft were Mexican nationals. The flight was en route to Springfield, Missouri.

The Learjet 55 took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at approximately 18:07 local time, crashing less than four miles (6.4 km) away moments later.

Officials have urged residents to report any debris sightings and avoid touching wreckage.

What do we know about the crash?

FlightAware, a flight tracking website, indicates that the aircraft was operated by Med Jets and had landed in Philadelphia from Florida less than four hours before the crash. In an audio recording cited by The Independent, air traffic controllers can be heard attempting to make contact with the aircraft. One controller states, "We have a lost aircraft, we’re not entirely sure what happened and are trying to figure it out for now."

Also read: Washington DC plane crash: How 'critical failures,' last-minute errors resulted in deadliest US air disaster in 24 years

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the crash.

This incident comes after another aviation disaster just two days earlier in Washington, DC, where a collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter reportedly resulted in the deaths of all 67 people on board both aircraft. It was the deadliest plane crash in the US in over two decades.

(With inputs from agencies)