Nine Killed as Learjet 60 Crashes Into Florida Neighbourhood

A business jet crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Florida on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard, according to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The Learjet 60 went down near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County at approximately 12:50 p.m. local time, about nine miles from Mar-a-Lago, US President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach.

The aircraft had departed Austin, Texas, and was travelling to the Bahamas when the crash occurred, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed.

Images from the scene showed a large crater in a residential roadway, with sections of concrete, aircraft debris and flames scattered across the area.

Video circulating on social media appears to capture the moments leading up to the impact. The footage shows the aircraft descending almost vertically towards the ground before exploding into a large fireball.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the footage as disturbing, comparing the aircraft's descent to a missile falling from the sky.

"When you see that video, it's a jarring thing," DeSantis told reporters. "It's like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere."

Authorities said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured.

The crash prompted a major emergency response, with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declaring a mass casualty incident. Approximately 600 residents from a nearby mobile-home community were also evacuated as emergency crews worked at the scene.

Officials reported significant damage to local infrastructure, including water lines. Military Trail was expected to remain closed for at least 30 days while repairs and other recovery work are carried out.

Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were reported in the area around the time of the crash. However, authorities have not confirmed whether weather conditions contributed to the accident.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the incident as a "horrific tragedy" and confirmed that the FAA was sending a team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will lead the investigation.

The identities of those aboard the aircraft have not yet been released, and investigators have not established what caused the jet to crash.

President Donald Trump had been at Mar-a-Lago earlier on Sunday but departed from a nearby airport aboard Air Force One approximately an hour before the incident.

The investigation remains ongoing.