Plane Trails Smoke as Debris Plummets Onto Dutch Town

Debris from a passing Boeing 747 cargo airplane plummeted onto the Dutch town of Meerssen, close to Maastricht, on February 20 after one of the plane’s engines caught fire, officials said.

This footage shows the plane trailing smoke as it flew over Meerssen.

Multiple parts of the plane were found in the vicinity of Sint Josephstraat, a residential street in Meersen, including a piece of metal lodged in the roof of a car.

The public safety authority for the South Limburg region said two people were injured, including one who was taken to hospital, and several cars and houses were damaged by falling parts.

The airplane had just departed Maastricht Aachen Airport when the engine trouble occurred, but continued to Liege where it landed safely, officials said.

Police asked that residents not move any debris, so that authorities can carry out accurate damage assessments.

According to the local media, a child was injured when he picked up a piece of hot debris and was burned. Credit: Robin Eygelshoven via Storyful