Four foreign nationals were killed when a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff from London Southend Airport on Sunday afternoon. Essex Police said the aircraft, operated by Netherlands-based Zeusch Aviation, had just dropped off a patient and was returning to its base when it “got into difficulty” and came down within the airport perimeter. The victims were the aircraft’s Dutch commander and co-pilot, 46-year-old German doctor Matthias Eyl, and 31-year-old flight nurse Maria Fernanda Rojas Ortiz, a German national born in Chile who was reportedly on her first day in the role. Formal identification is pending, and police are liaising with the victims’ embassies. Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has deployed eight inspectors to the scene. Investigators cautioned that it remains too early to determine the cause of the crash and are working with police to secure physical and electronic evidence. Authorities have appealed for witness statements and any video footage of the incident. London Southend Airport, about 35 miles east of central London, remains closed until further notice. Chief Executive Jude Winstanley said staff are assisting emergency responders, while airlines including easyJet have cancelled or diverted flights. Police and investigators expect on-site work to continue for several days.