Skydiving aircraft crashes during takeoff in New Jersey, five injured

New Jersey [US], July 3 : A skydiving aircraft carrying 15 people crashed after overshooting the runway during takeoff at Cross Keys Airport in Monroe Township, New Jersey, on Wednesday evening, officials said.

The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. local time when a Cessna 208B aircraft was departing from the airport, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

According to the FAA, the aircraft was being used for skydiving purposes and had 15 individuals on board at the time of the crash, Fox News reported.

Gloucester County Emergency Management described the incident as a "mass casualty incident" at the airport.

Hospital authorities said five injured individuals were expected to be transported to Cooper University Hospital in Camden. The update was shared by Wendy Marano, spokesperson for the hospital, to Fox Philadelphia.

Further details are awaited, and the FAA has initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.

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