Aircraft

South African rescuers are attending the scene of a crash involving an Airlink British Aerospace Jetstream 41 turboprop at Durban.

The aircraft was on a positioning flight, SA8911, from Durban to Pietermaritzburg when the accident occurred at around 08:00, says the carrier.

Images from the scene show that the aircraft's fuselage has broken into several pieces.

Airlink says the aircraft departed Durban but, shortly after take-off, the crew declared an emergency, reporting an "engine loss" and smoke from the rear.

The Jetstream crashed around 400m (1,300ft) from the airport, it adds, in a school field.

Initial indications suggest the turboprop had been transporting only three crew, with no passengers, and that there are no fatalities. Airlink says it is "deeply shocked and saddened by this event".