A twin-engine aircraft crashed in Hawaii, killing at least nine people on board, authorities said on Friday.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation says nine were aboard the aircraft when it went down near Dillingham Airfield in the northwest corner of Oahu. Hawaii DOT spokesman Tim Sakahara said there were no survivors in the crash of the King Air plane.

"With extreme sadness HDOT reports there were 9 souls on board the King Air twin engine plane that went down near Dillingham Airfield with no apparent survivors," officials said on Twitter.

Officials initially reported that six people had been on board the aircraft. Other details of the crash, including whether the plane was landing or taking off at the time of the crash, weren’t immediately known, Sakahara said.

The crash occurred near the small Dillingham Airfield, an airport on the North Shore. The highway fronting the airport is closed in both directions.

“We’re still gathering information on the intent of the flight,” Honolulu Fire Department Chief Manuel Neves said, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Source: BBC         

BDST: 1223 HRS, JUNE 22, 2019

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