Two trainee pilots from India are among three persons killed when a small plane crashed in Canada’s British Columbia province, according to media reports.

Abhay Gadru and Yash Ramugade, both 25, from Mumbai, were in the small twin-engine light aircraft – a piper PA-34 Seneca – which crashed on Friday near the local airport in Chilliwack city, about 100 km east of Vancouver.

The plane crashed behind a motel near the airport, killing the pilot and everyone on board, Sgt. Pete Healey from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was quoted as saying by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

A total of three people were killed in the plane crash.

The report said that Gadru’s sibling Chirag, who also lives in the British Columbia province, is trying to send back his brother’s remains to their parents in India.

Meanwhile, CTV News Vancouver, a Canadian news portal, said that the second person among the three killed was Yash Ramugude, who also hailed from Mumbai.

The registration number on the plane’s tail indicates the aircraft, which appeared badly damaged, is a Piper PA-34 Seneca owned by SkyQuest Aviation, a flight school based in Langley.

“We’re looking into it but we’re not issuing any statements. There is nothing we can say at this time,” an employee, who works as an administrator at SkyQuest Aviation, said on condition of anonymity.

The reports did not identify the pilot of the small plane.

It is still unknown what caused the twin-engined light aircraft to crash, the CBC report said.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it’s sending investigators, it said.

Mumbai:

Two families from Mumbai got the worst possible news on Saturday when they were told that their young sons were among three people killed in a plane crash in Canada a day earlier.

The two trainee pilots were in a small twin-engined light aircraft – a Piper PA-34 Seneca – which crashed near the local airport in Chilliwack, close to Vancouver, in British Columbia.

The pilots who have been killed are 25-year-old Abhay Gadru from Vasai and Yash Vijay Ramugade from Santacruz.

Abhay used to stay in Krishna Vandan Society in the Evershine area before he moved to Canada for his pilot training. His neighbour, Vaibhav Goyal, said everyone in the neighbourhood has very fond memories of Abhay and the news of his death has plunged the entire society into mourning.

“We got a call at 5 am on Saturday and could not believe that something like this had happened to Abhay. His brother, Chirag, has also been studying in Canada since last year. Authorities in Canada have not let Chirag see Abhay’s body yet, and he has been told that he will be given Abhay’s belongings on Sunday,” Mr Goyal said.

The neighbour said he had spoken to Chirag over the phone. “He is very worried and is trying to get in touch with the consulate so that Abhay’s body can be brought back home. Their parents are currently visiting some relatives in Delhi,” he said.

Mr Goyal said Abhay was like a brother to him and all doors in the neighbourhood were always open for him. “I never thought of him as anything but a brother,” he added.