Korschenbroich plane crash: Multiple casualties as jet smashes into residential home

A plane crashed into a residential property this morning, killing the and one other person - and leaving behind a huge in its path.

The small aircraft is believed to have smashed into the front of a house in the Kleinenbroich district of , grazing the facade and causing severe damage to the property's walls before the structure burst into flames. According to BILD, the pilot was attempting to land minutes away in the nearby city of Mönchengladbach when tragedy struck.

He reportedly flagged engine problems mid-air, moments before the . have since launched a major operation in North Rhine-Westphalia, with a large emergency services response at the scene. Black clouds of smoke have been seen billowing into the sky above the town of Korschenbroich on the Lower Rhine.

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Several police, fire and rescue services raced to the scene this morning. Two hours away in Westerwald - on the right bank of the river Rhine - a residential property exploded and burned to the ground in a separate, unrelated incident.

The house, in the Rennerod district of Bretthausen, was left completely gutted after the explosion tore through the structure at around 7am, letting out a huge bang.

Miraculously, no one was injured. Residents alerted the emergency services, reporting an explosion, but by the time the fire department arrived the house was already fully ablaze.

A thick black plume of smoke poured into the sky and was visible for miles around, including from Siegerland Airport, BILD reports. More than 100 firefighters from the region rushed to the scene and spent hours battling the ferocious flames.

As the blaze ripped through the building, the roof of an adjacent workshop also caught fire. Fire crews were able to stop the flames from spreading to other houses, but a car was also reportedly left gutted by the fire. One property was evacuated.

Three adults and two children were able to flee to safety before emergency services arrived. According to initial reports, no one was injured and the cause of the explosion remains unclear at this stage.