Five die as plane crashes into Melbourne mall

MELBOURNE - The Australian Authorities have confirmed that five people are dead after a charter plane crashed into a popular Melbourne shopping center on Tuesday morning.

Witnesses who saw the charter plane crash described a "massive fireball" erupt from a warehouse of the Direct Factory Outlet shopping center in Essendon after the aircraft plunged into it at speed.

Craig Lapsley, Victoria's Emergency Services Commissioner, said five people were on board the plane and none had survived the crash.

"At this stage, the advice we have is there are no fatalities other than on the aircraft itself," Lapsley told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

The plane left Essendon airport in Melbourne's inner-northern suburbs, at around 9 am and was heading for King Island, a popular golf destination off Tasmania's northwest coast.

Shortly after takeoff, the pilot who has been identified as 63-year old Max Quartermain issued a mayday call for what Victoria Police Superintendent Mick Frewen said was "catastrophic engine failure".

Quartermain, who co-owned the company that chartered the flight with his wife Cilia, attempted to turn the plane around and land back at Essendon airport but instead flew straight into the DFO, which sits on a major freeway.

Daniel Andrews, Victoria's premier, said it was "a desperately sad day" for Victoria.

"A number of people have died," Andrews said at a news conference.

"Our thoughts, our prayers, our best wishes and our support go to all of those who have been caught up in this."

Andrews said it was Victoria's worst civil aviation disaster in 30 years and commended the work of the emergency service personnel who attended the scene.

Lapsley said the emergency services personnel would be offered psychological support and the state had "learned a lot" from the Bourke Street tragedy, in which six people were killed by a rampaging motorist in the CBD, about managing trauma.

Michael Howard, 29, was at his job as a plumber when he saw a "blue flash" come down over a DFO billboard.

"I was talking to one of the boys and I was just looking out the window toward that way and then all of a sudden I just saw a blue flash come down and then all of a sudden there was a massive fireball," Howard said.

The US embassy said it was working closely with the authorities in Melbourne to help identify the golfers.

"We are unable to confirm any details about the nationality or identity of any of the victims," a spokeswoman told News Limited.

(China Daily 02/22/2017 page12)