NEW YORK, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A small plane crashed into a neighborhood of U.S. southwestern city of San Diego early Thursday morning, sparking intense flames that scorched several homes, mangled dozens of vehicles and forced almost 100 people to evacuate.
Just before 8 a.m. local time, fire officials confirmed that the only known fatalities from the crash were the private plane's occupants. It still wasn't clear exactly how many people were on board, but San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Assistant Chief Dan Eddy said there were at least two.
The plane can hold eight to 10 passengers, he said. The plane crashed into a military housing community in the Murphy Canyon area just before 4 a.m. local time on Thursday, Eddy added.
"Crews arrived on scene to find multiple homes and cars on fire," Eddy said at a press conference. Firefighters have since been able to quell the flames, but at least 10 homes were destroyed and a block of vehicles, at least a dozen, were left completely mangled, he said.
Luckily, there have been no confirmed injuries or deaths among residents. "The good news that I do have right now is that we have not transported anyone from scene so far," Eddy said. However, he said crews were still double-checking the homes in and around Sample Street.
"This is a worst case scenario: a plane into homes," the Los Angeles Times quoted Eddy as saying. He said the crash left behind a "gigantic debris field." ■
