Plane crash in France kills 11 on board as skydiving aircraft crashes after take-off

A plane crash in France has claimed the lives of all 11 people on board after a skydiving aircraft crashed shortly after take-off near Nancy-Essey Airport in eastern France on Sunday.

French authorities confirmed that the victims included the pilot, five skydiving instructors and five trainee skydivers. The aircraft, identified as a Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter, was carrying the group on a recreational skydiving flight when the tragedy occurred near the town of Tomblaine in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department.

According to local officials, the aircraft went down just minutes after taking off, crashing into an open area about 300 metres from the runway. Witnesses reported seeing the plane lose altitude rapidly before plunging almost vertically and bursting into flames on impact.

Emergency services, including firefighters, police officers and medical personnel, responded swiftly to the scene, while authorities cordoned off the area around the airport and urged residents to avoid the location to allow rescue and investigative operations to continue.

“The area must be strictly avoided,” local authorities said in a public safety advisory.

Officials noted that the aircraft narrowly missed nearby homes and commercial buildings, preventing what could have been an even greater disaster.

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The French Interior Ministry confirmed that Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez travelled to the crash site to oversee the government’s response, while Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot expressed condolences to the victims’ families and pledged full cooperation with investigators.

France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) has launched a formal investigation into the accident. Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft’s maintenance records, weather conditions, pilot communications and any possible mechanical failure that may have contributed to the crash.

Authorities have not yet identified the cause of the accident, and officials say it is too early to determine what triggered the fatal crash.

The tragedy is being described as one of France’s deadliest aviation accidents involving a skydiving aircraft in nearly three decades.

The latest accident comes just weeks after another fatal skydiving plane crash in the United States.

Earlier this month, a skydiving aircraft crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Bates County, Missouri, killing all 12 people on board.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the aircraft was being used for recreational skydiving when it crashed shortly after take-off.

“Troopers are on scene assisting the Butler Police Department and Bates County Sheriff’s Office of a fatal plane crash near the Butler Memorial Airport. At this time, reports indicate all occupants, 12 total, have perished,” the agency said in a statement.

The crash is also being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The two deadly accidents have renewed attention on aviation safety within the recreational skydiving industry, although aviation experts maintain that such incidents remain uncommon compared with the large number of flights conducted annually.

Plane crash in France kills 11 on board as skydiving aircraft crashes after take-off

Oshiomhole backs death penalty for kidnappers, bandits in Edo

Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has endorsed Governor Monday Okpebholo’s proposal to impose the death penalty on convicted kidnappers and bandits, describing the measure as a decisive response to rising insecurity in Edo State.

Speaking at the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Edo North Senatorial District campaign for the July 11 local government elections in Auchi, Oshiomhole said states have the constitutional authority to enact laws prescribing punishments for offences within their jurisdiction.

“I stand here to completely endorse the declaration by the governor of Edo State that we are in a federation where every state has the right to enact laws on punishment when it comes to state offences. So kidnappers and bandits will be punished by death through firing squad,” the senator declared.

The former governor argued that the Okpebholo administration had restored confidence in governance and strengthened security efforts across the state, stressing that law-abiding residents had nothing to fear.

He also reiterated his support for the establishment of state police, saying decentralised policing would strengthen the country’s security architecture and complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force in tackling kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.

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The endorsement comes as the Edo State Government intensifies efforts to curb violent crime through tougher legislation and improved security measures amid growing concerns over kidnappings and attacks in parts of the state.

Governor Monday Okpebholo, while addressing party supporters, said his administration remained focused on improving the welfare of Edo residents through sustained investments in infrastructure and public services.

According to the governor, the state has embarked on major projects, including the construction and rehabilitation of roads, schools and markets, aimed at improving living standards and boosting economic activities.

“We have embarked on massive infrastructural development in the state, including roads, schools, markets and others. These achievements were not there in the past, but this administration has made them possible,” Okpebholo said.

The governor also defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, saying the policy had significantly increased funds available to state governments for development.

“The removal of fuel subsidy has provided more funds for governors across the country to develop their states. This is the money we are using as a government to develop Edo State through massive road construction, schools and other infrastructure projects,” he added.

Okpebholo said the APC campaign offered an opportunity to formally present the party’s chairmanship and councillorship candidates to voters ahead of the July 11 local government election.

He urged party members to mobilise support for APC candidates and work towards delivering what he described as 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

The governor further commended the rehabilitation of the Auchi-Ekpoma-Benin Road, describing it as one of the key infrastructure achievements of the Tinubu administration.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, urged APC candidates to prioritise grassroots development and ensure residents across Edo State’s 18 local government areas benefited from democratic governance.

“This election is a major step towards the 2027 general election in the country. I thank the leadership of the party for building a strong party in Edo State,” Momoh said.

On his part, Edo APC Chairman Jarrett Tenebe called on the party’s candidates to emulate the state’s founding leaders by prioritising development, accountability and effective service delivery at the grassroots.

He described local government administration as the closest level of government to the people and urged incoming council officials to work closely with Governor Okpebholo in extending development projects to communities across the state.

The campaign rally was attended by Deputy APC State Chairman Sylvester Aigboboh, senior government officials, party leaders and supporters, who rallied behind the party’s candidates ahead of the July 11 local government election.

The proposed death penalty for convicted kidnappers has generated national debate, with supporters arguing that stricter penalties could deter violent crime, while critics continue to advocate approaches that balance public safety with constitutional safeguards and human rights protections.

Oshiomhole backs death penalty for kidnappers, bandits in Edo

Harrowing 52-Day Ordeal: Kaduna Mother Recounts Daughter’s Rape by Bandits After Ransom Payment

A wave of outrage and grief has swept through Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State as a mother, Mrs. Comfort Ezekiel, bravely came forward to detail the appalling abuse she and her daughter suffered during 52 days in captivity. The trauma did not end with the payment of a ransom, as bandits subjected her daughter to sexual assault in her presence while escorting them out of the forest after collecting money from their family. Several other female captives were similarly molested during their time in the forest camp.

“They collected the ransom and told us we were free to go. We thought our suffering was over, but it was not. They raped my daughter before my eyes. It is a painful memory that will never leave me,” Mrs. Ezekiel said amid tears.

The ordeal began when armed bandits invaded their community in Kachia LGA, marching the victims deep into the forest where they remained for 52 days. Life in captivity was a daily struggle for survival, marked by severe hunger, fear, and uncertainty. The captives slept on the bare ground, survived on little food and water, trekked for hours through the forest, and lived every day with the fear of being killed at any moment.

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The emotional trauma of witnessing the abuse of her daughter remains the most painful aspect of the ordeal for Mrs. Ezekiel. She insisted that no mother should witness what she saw, and that even though they have returned home, they are not the same people who were taken away. The pain, she said, remains in their hearts.

Mrs. Ezekiel disclosed that her daughter has yet to recover physically or emotionally from the trauma and continues to experience health complications following the incident. She appealed to the federal and Kaduna State governments, security agencies, and humanitarian organisations to provide medical, psychological, and social support for victims of kidnapping, noting that many survivors return home with deep emotional and physical scars.

The incident underscores the deteriorating security situation in Southern Kaduna, which has been plagued by a series of violent attacks and abductions. Residents of the affected communities have expressed deep concern and are urging security agencies to intensify operations against bandit groups terrorising communities in the area.

Harrowing 52-Day Ordeal: Kaduna Mother Recounts Daughter’s Rape by Bandits After Ransom Payment