A small aircraft crashed at London Southend Airport on England’s southeast coast on Sunday afternoon, triggering a large-scale emergency response and flight cancellations, authorities confirmed.

Essex Police said it was alerted shortly before 4 pm (BST) to reports of a 12-metre general aviation plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea.

“We remain on the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport,” a police spokesperson said, adding that emergency operations would continue for several hours. The public has been asked to avoid the area while the work is underway.

The East of England Ambulance Service dispatched four emergency crews to the scene, including a rapid response vehicle, a hazardous area response team, and a senior paramedic.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service also responded, with crews from Southend (two), Rayleigh Weir, and Basildon (two), along with off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford.

A spokesperson from the airport confirmed the incident involved a general aviation aircraft. “We can confirm there has been a serious incident at London Southend Airport this afternoon involving a general aviation aircraft,” the statement read. The airport added that it is working closely with local authorities and will provide more information “as soon as possible.”