Charleroi airport closed after five killed in plane crash in Belgium

A police photographer inspects the scene of a tourist plane crash at Charleroi airport (Getty Images)

Five people, three of them children, died this morning in a plane crash in Belgium.

The victims were reportedly a 68-year-old grandfather, his 39-year-old daughter-in-law, and his three grandchildren, aged 7, 6 and 3. The family were from Brussels, and the children's father was on his way to the airport, news reports said.

Firefighters sprayed water on the Cessna, which was badly disintegrated in the crash.

The airport, which is in Charleroi, about 35 miles south of Brussels, was closed. Several flights were cancelled and others delayed or diverted at what is a hub for Ryanair and other budget airlines.

Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo tweeted: "My sincere condolences to the family of relatives of victims of the plane crash in Charleroi."

An investigation into what caused the crash is underway.