Monday, July 14, 2025
London Southend Airport is closed “until further notice” aft a level dramatically collapsed into a section this afternoon. It happened soon earlier 4pm erstwhile a 12 metre craft deed nan crushed successful a immense fireball amid daze from spectators and witnesses. The clang has caused each flights astatine nan airdrome to beryllium cancelled while investigations into nan origin of nan clang are ongoing.
According to Essex Police, they received reports of nan clang soon earlier 4pm connected Sunday. The level involved, operated by Zeusch Aviation, was attempting to depart from Southend Airport aft a bid of anterior flights. The craft had flown from Athens to Pula successful Croatia earlier heading to Southend. It was owed to return to Lelystad Airport successful The Netherlands that evening.
Witnesses reported seeing a ample fireball erupt from nan clang site, pinch societal media posts capturing nan heavy plume of fume rising into nan air. The clang itself, described by 1 onlooker arsenic a “fireball,” has near nan organization profoundly shaken. The fireball detonation witnessed by those adjacent only added to nan magnitude of nan tragedy, making it clear that this was nary mean aviation accident.
Zeusch Aviation Confirms Incident, Authorities Investigate
Zeusch Aviation, nan Dutch hose operating nan aircraft, has confirmed that nan SUZ1 formation was progressive successful nan clang astatine London Southend Airport. In a statement, nan hose expressed their deepest condolences, offering their afloat support to authorities during nan ongoing investigation. The institution stressed that their thoughts were pinch everyone affected by nan incident, acknowledging nan gravity of nan situation.
“We are actively supporting nan authorities pinch nan investigation,” Zeusch Aviation said successful a statement. “Our thoughts are pinch everyone who has been affected.” The clang has near some nan aviation organization and section residents successful a authorities of disbelief, arsenic authorities activity to find nan origin of nan clang and nan number of casualties.
The nonstop number of casualties has yet to beryllium confirmed, arsenic nan investigation continues. While Essex Police person branded nan incident a “serious event,” further specifications stay scarce astatine this stage. In nan meantime, nan airdrome remains closed until further notice, pinch Southend Airport confirming that each flights to and from nan airdrome person been cancelled.
Eyewitness Accounts: The Terrifying Moments of nan Crash
John Johnson, a resident who was astatine nan airdrome pinch his family astatine nan clip of nan crash, recounted nan terrifying moments earlier and aft nan level plummeted to nan ground. “We each waved astatine nan pilots, and they waved backmost astatine us,” Johnson recalled. “The craft past turned 180 degrees, faced its take-off direction, powered up, and rolled down nan runway.” Moments later, nan plane, aft taking off, sharply banked to nan near and tragically inverted, crashing headfirst into nan crushed and igniting a fireball.
“It was shocking to witness, and we were each shaken up,” Johnson said, emphasizing that his thoughts were pinch nan group connected nan level and their families. “It happened truthful quickly, and it was conscionable a terrifying sight.”
Witnesses nearby, specified arsenic James Philpott, a bartender astatine nan Rochford Hundred Golf Club located adjacent to nan airport, described emotion a abrupt aggravated power activity earlier seeing nan monolithic fireball emergence into nan sky. “It was much nan power that really deed me. It felt for illustration I was baking,” Philpott said. “People were moving toward nan clang tract to spot if anyone was injured.”
Emergency Services Respond to Devastating Incident
In consequence to nan crash, Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, and nan East of England Ambulance Service swiftly mobilized. Crews from Southend, Rayleigh Weir, and Basildon responded to nan scene, supported by off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford. Additionally, a important aesculapian consequence included 4 ambulances, a accelerated consequence vehicle, 4 hazardous area consequence squad vehicles, and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described nan incident arsenic “tragic” and expressed her heavy interest for everyone involved. “My thoughts are pinch each those affected by today’s events,” Alexander wrote successful a connection posted to X. “I americium monitoring nan business and intimately receiving regular updates.”
David Burton-Sampson, nan Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, besides offered his support to those affected by nan crash. “Please support distant from nan area and let nan emergency services to do their work,” he wrote connected X, expressing his thoughts for those impacted by nan tragedy.
The Impact connected Southend Airport and Passengers
As a consequence of nan crash, London Southend Airport has been closed until further notice, pinch each flights to and from nan airdrome cancelled. The closure has caused important disruption for travellers, pinch passengers advised to interaction their respective airlines for updates connected rescheduled flights. EasyJet, a awesome bearer operating from Southend, announced that each of its flights to and from nan airdrome had been diverted to replacement airports aliases cancelled outright.
Southend Airport guidance released a connection acknowledging nan disruption. “Our thoughts are pinch those affected by today’s events and each passengers impacted by this disruption,” nan connection said. “We will restart formation operations arsenic soon arsenic imaginable and will proceed to update nan nationalist connected developments.”
Ongoing Investigation and Future Updates
The investigation into nan clang continues, pinch authorities moving intimately pinch nan aviation manufacture to portion together nan specifications of nan event. While nan nonstop origin of nan clang has yet to beryllium determined, nan tragic incident astatine London Southend Airport serves arsenic a stark reminder of nan dangers that tin originate successful aviation, moreover successful regular operations.
As nan investigation unfolds and nan airdrome remains closed, some authorities and nan aviation organization proceed to show nan business closely. For now, each eyes are connected Southend Airport arsenic officials activity to understand what led to this horrific clang and supply clarity for nan nationalist and nan families affected.
While we await further information, nan thoughts of our organization and federation spell retired to those affected by nan crash, nan passengers, their families and nan emergency unit who person devoted truthful overmuch clip to attending to nan aftermath. The aviation world has been rocked by nan calamity astatine London Southend Airport, it will surely punctual further successful extent scrutiny of information measures wrong nan industry.