Story highlights
NEW: 10 skydivers, the pilot are killed when their plane crashes, nearby city reports
NEW: Belgium's king and prime minister go to the crash site, adds the city
NEW: An investigation is underway to determine why the plane crashed
Ten skydivers and the pilot of a small private plane died Saturday when their aircraft crashed in a rural area southeast of Belgium’s capital, a local municipality said.
Emergency dispatch teams were dispatched to the crash site in Namur, a community about 70 kilometers (43 miles) southeast of Brussels, Belgian Fire Service spokesman Eric Lambert told CNN.
They were joined later by Belgium’s King Philippe, Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and Interior Minister Joelle Milquet, the city of Namur said in a statement.
An investigation being conducted by the Namur prosecutor’s office is underway to determine why the plane went down, according to the city.
CNN affiliate RTL reported Fernelmont Mayor Jean-Claude Nihoul as saying the aircraft crashed about 10 minutes after takeoff from a nearby airport.
The remains of those killed were taken to Charleroi.
