Doctor was among four people killed in Southend Airport plane crash - as one victim's body not yet recovered

A doctor was among the four people who died in a plane crash at Southend Airport - as police say they are yet to recover the body of one victim.

Two male Dutch pilots and a female nurse were also in the medical transport aircraft that had dropped off a patient and was beginning a journey back to the Netherlands when it crashed on Sunday afternoon.

The collision caused a huge fireball which was seen by eyewitnesses who had waved at the pilots on the plane before it took off.

A male doctor who was onboard has been named in reports as German national Dr Matthias Eyl, 46.

The nurse has been named in media reports as Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, 31, who was originally from Chile and was a German national.

Essex Police said officers are working closely with the coroner and are not able to officially confirm the identities until formal identification has taken place.

The force has confirmed that all of those who died were foreign nationals.

In an update on Tuesday, Essex Police said it had recovered three bodies and "we're continuing to work on recovering a fourth body within the next 24 hours".

"We're also now able to confirm the flight in question was a medical flight chartered to London Southend Airport for a patient to be transported onward for medical treatment in the UK," the force added.

"On board the flight when it tragically crashed were the commander and the co-pilot - who are both men - and a nurse, a woman, and a doctor, a man, all of whom died."

The force added that it is working with the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) which is involved in "victim recovery activities, examination of the wreckage and evidence gathering".

London Southend Airport spokesperson said today that the airport will "will continue to remain closed until further notice" following the tragedy.

It added: "The friends and families of those lost on Sunday are at the forefront of our minds. Our team continues to work closely with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch to support their work. We would like to thank our passengers and local community for their understanding during this time."

Lisa Fitzsimons of the AAIB earlier said "it is too early to speculate" on what may have caused the crash.

Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been "involved in an accident".

The company said: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the victims, their families, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time."

John Johnson, who was at the airport with his wife and children, said he saw a "big fireball" exploding across the sky as the plane plunged "into the ground".

"It took off and about three or four seconds [later] it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head first into the ground," he said.

Mr Johnson added: "There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock [after] witnessing it."

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for Ms Ortiz's family had raised more than £5,800 as of Tuesday evening.

Essex Police is appealing to members of the public who may have witnessed the crash or have video footage of it to get in touch.

Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin said on Tuesday: "Everything we are doing is aimed at finding and preserving the physical and electronic evidence which we hope will help build an accurate picture of what happened.

"The scale of the work being undertaken by many agencies here at London Southend Airport should not be underestimated.

"That work at the scene will continue today and further into the week as we seek to find the answers to what happened here on Sunday afternoon."

Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the four people killed in the plane crash, writing on X on Monday: "Terrible news that four people tragically lost their lives in yesterday's plane crash at Southend Airport. My thoughts are with their families and loved ones.

"I also want to thank all the emergency responders who attended the scene."