Shoreham Airshow crash: Police fear death toll may increase in West Sussex

Plane crashes near the Shoreham airshow — The Hawker Hunter plane crashed into the A27 during the Shoreham Airshow Dan Tube/YouTube

Police fear the death toll following the plane crash in West Sussex during the Shoreham Airshow may increase. At least seven bodies have been found so far.

With investigators and emergency services scouring the crash site for more victims after a vintage jet crashed, police have revealed receiving about 40 phone calls from the public enquiring if any of their relatives were either killed or injured in the incident.

The single-seater Hawker Hunter plane came down on the A27 hitting several vehicles. The plane was attempting the loop-the-loop manoeuvre but failed to pull it off ending in the crash. The pilot of the aircraft is critically injured and is thought to be fighting for his life at the Royal Sussex Hospital.

"As far as we are aware all those who sadly lost their lives were on the road, and it was nobody within the air show perimeter on the actual airport. At this time we are continuing to search the area to ensure that we have identified all the casualties," said Supt Jane Derrick of Sussex Police. "It is possible that tonight and tomorrow we are going to find more bodies at the scene."

Unconfirmed reports suggested two cyclists were also killed in the crash but Derrick insisted she would not comment on the speculation. She added there were "a number of people and bikes at the scene and the officers are working through that at the moment".

Fourteen others were injured in the crash, four of whom were taken to hospital for treatment. The A27 is expected to remain shut for the "next couple of days", police added.

Archie Tipple, an onlooker at the air show, told the BBC: "I was photographing the aircraft as it started its display and as it climbed and climbed and climbed I thought, this is pretty good."

"But he was coming in a little bit low and I was still photographing it as it came down and then all of a sudden you just knew what was coming, and it just immediately changed, the atmosphere, from a festive one to something quite sombre."