Fullerton, California
AP
—

Two people died and 19 were injured Thursday when a small plane crashed through the roof of a sprawling Southern California furniture factory where at least 200 people worked, police said.

The deceased were believed to have been on the plane while the injured were inside the building. The deceased victims will be identified after officers contact next of kin, Fullerton police said in a statement.

Eleven people were taken to hospitals while eight were treated at the scene and released, police said.

According to flight tracking website FlightAware, the plane crashed less than two minutes after takeoff from Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County, which is just six miles from Disneyland.

Surveillance camera footage from Rucci Forged, a wheel manufacturer across the street, shows the plane tipped onto its side as it plunged into the building, resulting in a fiery explosion and a plume of black smoke.

Firefighters and police were on scene, battling the fire and evacuating surrounding businesses, Wells said.

Chris Villalobos, an airport operations employee, came to the warehouse to see what happened after receiving a call about a plane crash nearby.

He said the owner of the plane was a regular at the airport and flew out from there frequently.

“He has a hangar here and everything,” Villalobos said.

Villalobos said that the pilot told air traffic control after takeoff that he would turn around and make an emergency landing, but it was unclear what the problem was with the plane.

The building hit by the plane was occupied by Michael Nicholas Designs, a furniture upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door. Apparently there were sewing machines and textile materials inside.

Ten people were taken to hospital, eight were treated at the scene and released, police said. There have been two confirmed deaths, Wells said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident and identified the aircraft as a single-engine, four-seat Van’s RV-10. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was also investigating.

The airport in Fullerton has one runway and a helipad. Metrolink, a regional rail line, is nearby and flanks a residential neighborhood and commercial warehouse buildings.

The Fullerton City Council released a statement on social media calling the crash a “solemn tragedy.”

“The City of Fullerton is committed to supporting all those affected and working with the agencies involved to uncover the details of this incident,” Mayor Fred Jung said in the statement. “We are grateful for the strength of our community and the compassion we show each other in times of crisis.”

Another four-seat plane crashed into a tree half a mile from the airport last November while making an emergency landing immediately after takeoff, the Orange County Register reported. Both people on board suffered moderate injuries.

Fullerton is a city of about 140,000 residents about 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles.