Two dead in small plane crash in California

A small plane crashed into a commercial building in the US state of California on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 18 others, police said.

The crash took place early in the afternoon near Fullerton Municipal Airport, 40 kilometres southeast of Los Angeles. The cause remains unknown.

"There are two confirmed fatalities," Fullerton police said on X. Additionally, 10 people were hospitalised and eight others were treated at the scene.

Investigators do not yet know if the deceased were plane passengers or if they were workers at the building where it crashed, a police officer told local station KTLA.

Television footage showed a gaping hole in the roof of the building, with smoke pouring out.