Two dead, 18 injured after small plane crashes in Southern California

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 18 others were injured after a small plane crashed into the rooftop of a commercial building on Thursday near Los Angeles, according to local authorities.

The accident, which occurred at about 2:09 p.m. local time (2209 GMT) in the city of Fullerton, 40 km southeast of downtown Los Angeles, ignited a huge fire and forced the surrounding businesses to be evacuated, said Kristy Wells, a Fullerton police spokesperson.

Video footage from the local KABC news channel showed white smoke coming from the top of a large building. The building is located by the Metrolink, a regional train line, and is flanked by a residential neighborhood and commercial warehouse buildings.

It was not immediately known what type of plane it was or whether those injured were in the aircraft or on the ground, Wells said.