Four people were killed in a plane crash at London Southend Airport after a small aircraft exploded into a fireball moments after take-off, writes dailymail.co.uk.

The international airport, near Southend–on–Sea in Essex, has been forced to cancel all flights and close "until further notice" after Zeusch Aviation Flight SUZ1 crashed just before 4pm on Sunday.

Essex Police said they were alerted to "reports of a collision involving one 12–metre plane" at the airport, calling it a "serious incident".

It has now been revealed that four people - believed to be two pilots and two passengers - were killed. A police press conference is due to be held this afternoon.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation into what caused the Beech B200 Super King Air to suddenly plummet to the ground seconds after take-off.