Fatalities confirmed as private jet crash lands on Florida highway after double engine failure

"The Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet, originating from Ohio, was on its final approach to Naples Airport, southwest Florida, when the pilot announced over the radio that both of the airplane's engines had failed", the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported in a statement.

"The air traffic controller promptly approved an emergency landing at the Naples airport, however, the pilot indicated that he would be unable to reach the runway (...) and would attempt a landing on I-75, an interstate highway which links the Great Lakes region in the north to Florida in the south," according to an airport spokesperson who spoke with AFP.

The emergency landing occurred near the Pine Ridge Road exit in Collier County. Video footage and photographs from the scene reveal that the plane crashed upon landing and subsequently erupted in flames. The aircraft struck two cars, including the roof of a small truck.

According to the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there were five occupants on the jet.

Authorities confirmed that two individuals lost their lives, though they did not clarify whether the victims were in the cars or on the airplane. A spokesperson for Naples Airport reported that three individuals were pulled alive from the wreckage of the jet, but did not provide any details regarding their condition.

Both the NTSB and FAA have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.