London Southend Airport has been shut down until further notice after a small aircraft crashed in a fireball shortly after take-off on Sunday afternoon. All flights scheduled for Monday have been rerouted, with passengers urged to check with their airlines, according to BBC.

Emergency services rushed to the scene around 4pm after the Beech B200 Super King Air went down near the runway. The number of casualties has not yet been confirmed.

The aircraft was operated by Dutch company Zeusch Aviation, which said it is working closely with investigators and shared its thoughts with everyone affected.

Witnesses described seeing the plane veer sharply and flip before crashing. The Air Accident Investigation Branch is now leading the inquiry, BBC reported.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said her thoughts are with those involved and thanked emergency crews for their swift response.