Plane crash kills 9, injures 3 in U.S.

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – A plane crash has killed at least 9 people and injured at least 3 in South Dakota in the United States, various American news outlets reported on Saturday, November 30 (December 1, Manila time).

Some 12 people were aboard the Pilatus PC-12 single-engine plane when it crashed in Brule County as it made its way from Chamberlain towards Idaho. The 3 survivors were taken to Sioux Falls for treatment, according to the Washington Post.

Two of the dead, reports said, were children. Among the dead too was the plane’s pilot, NBC News reported, citing the Brule County state attorney’s office.

The cause of the crash has yet to be determined, but the plane flew amid strong winds caused by a winter storm over parts of South Dakota.

The NTSB tweeted that it was “investigating today’s crash of Pilatus PC-12 near Chamberlain, SD.”

South Dakota is located in the Northern Plains, a region facing blizzard conditions as a storm blows eastward across the United States.

A winter storm warning remains in effect in Brule County until midday Sunday, the National Weather Service said, potentially including blowing snow that “could significantly reduce visibility.”

“The men and women of law enforcement, first responders and medical professionals should be commended in their heroic actions to rescue the victims in extreme weather conditions,” the state’s attorney office said.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigators were said to be on their way as of press time to investigate the crash. – with reports from the Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com