Eleven people were killed when a civilian aircraft crashed near the eastern French city of Nancy on Sunday, local authorities said.
The aircraft went down in Tomblaine, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, shortly after taking off from Nancy-Essey Airport, according to the prefecture, French broadcaster BFM TV reported.
All 11 people on board died in the crash, including the pilot and two groups of five parachutists who were participating in a skydiving session.
Thierry Pechey, head of the Meurthe-et-Moselle branch of the Order of Independent Nurses, told BFMTV that some of the victims appeared to be independent nurses taking part in an initiation event, along with skydiving instructors.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez is expected to visit the crash site later Sunday, according to his office.
Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefect Yves Seguy said the departmental operational centre had been activated to coordinate emergency services and monitor the response.
Police urged the public to avoid the area around Rue Salvador Allende in Tomblaine to allow emergency crews and law enforcement access to the crash site.