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Small plane crashes into shopping center in Australia

Feb 21, 2017

A small plane carrying five people crashed into a shopping center near an airport outside Melbourne, Australia, earlier this morning, and officials say a number of people have been killed.

The plane was a charter flight to King Island in Bass Strait between the Australian mainland and the southern island state of Tasmania.

Police said the plane crashed just before 9 a.m. local time, about an hour before the Direct Factory Outlet shopping mall was due to open.

Essendon Airport is a small airfield mainly used by light planes and a spokeswoman for Airservices Australia said flights in and out of Melbourne's main airport were not affected.

Photo credit: Nine News Melbourne