Four People Dead After Mid-air Collision in Los Angeles

The mid-air collision happened over Corona at approximately 3.35 pm local time. The scene of the crash is located about one mile from Corona Municipal Airport but it was not immediately clear if the planes had originated from the airport.

Authorities said the four fatalities included two pilots and one passenger. A person on the ground was also killed when debris came down in the streets, CNN International reported. The Federal Aviation Administration, however, said the fatalities were passengers on board.

According to KABC, the channel had received "unconfirmed reports" of injuries on the ground.

Virgil Rodriguez, a manager at a nearby store, told broadcasters that sales staff and customers were outside when they heard an explosion in the air and saw "debris flying all over the scene." He added that he planes appeared to be Cessnas.

Another witness described how he saw bodies falling out of the sky and that one of the planes plummeted to the ground while the other broke in two.

Traffic on the 91 Freeway, which was near the crash site, was not affected. However, motorists are advised to avoid the area while the crash is being investigated.