A private plane erupted into a fireball when it crashed on the runway of La Romana International Airport in the eastern Dominican Republic on Sunday. The crash was confirmed by the national aviation authority, and videos of the incident have since flooded social media. The horrifying visuals show the aircraft seemingly ‘vanish’ behind a massive explosion, and subsequently a huge plume of smoke at the crash site.

Private plane crash video emerges

Eyewitnesses shared videos of the incident on social media. The clips captured the shocking scenes when the jet skidded off the runway and exploded into flames.

Officials speak out after plane crash at La Romana airport

The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute issued a statement confirming that no passengers were on board. However, the two pilots at the helm at the time of the crash lost their lives in the fiery tragedy on the La Romana runway.

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So far, authorities haven’t revealed their names.

According to the authorities, the private jet was returning to the airport when it suddenly crashed on the runway. The plane is also believed to have declared an emergency mid-flight.

“The aircraft declared an emergency while approximately 16 nautical miles southwest of La Romana,” the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute stated further.

Authorities assured that a full investigation is underway to determine the cause of the tragic accident. Meanwhile, a report by the Travel and Tour World news platform suggested that the jet involved in the accident was the US-registered Gulfstream G200 executive jet. It is believed the jet was attempting an emergency return to La Romana after reporting technical issues mid-flight.

This is an ongoing investigation.