Six people have been killed after two planes collided midair at a World War II commemorative airshow in Dallas, Texas.

"According to our Dallas County Medical Examiner, there are a total of six fatalities from yesterday's Wings over Dallas air show incident," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins tweeted on Sunday.

He said authorities are continuing to work to identify the victims.

The show is described as the nation's premiere World War II airshow.

Several videos posted on social media showed the fighter plane appearing to fly into the bomber, causing them to quickly crash to the ground and setting off a large ball of fire and smoke.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations, with the latter taking the lead and providing updates, officials said. 

Air show safety — particularly with older military aircraft — has been a concern for years.

In 2011, 11 people were killed in Reno, Nevada, when a P-51 Mustang crashed into spectators.

In 2019, a bomber crashed in Hartford, Connecticut, killing seven people.

The NTSB said then it had investigated 21 accidents since 1982 involving World War II-era bombers, resulting in 23 deaths.

Source | Reuters