Five people were killed when a small chartered plane crashed into a shopping mall shortly after takeoff from Melbourne's Essendon Airport Tuesday morning, according to a statement released by Victoria Police.
The pilot was Australian, while the four passengers were visiting from the U.S.
CNN reported one of the victims was 70-year-old Texas native Greg Reynolds De Haven, who was in the midst of a three-week trip to Australia.
The plane was en route to Tasmania's King Island - a popular tourist destination celebrated for its beaches - when it struck a building that was part of the DFO shopping complex.
The complex was still closed when the plane crashed around 9 a.m. and no one in the building or on the ground was injured.
"It was a catastrophic plane crash, that has taken a number of lives. But certainly, if we look at the circumstances, we've been very lucky today depending on the time of day and who was around," Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said via CNN.
Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the crash a "tragic accident."
Victoria's Minister for Police Lisa Neville said the plane involved was believed to be a Hawker Beechcraft.
The crash prompted officials to temporarily suspend flights in and out of the smaller Essendon Airport Tuesday. However, Melbourne Airport was unaffected.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.
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