Emergency services at the crash site. Photo: TT News Agency via Reuters
Nine Swedes have been killed after their plane crashed during a skydiving trip near Umea in the north, authorities say.
The small plane, designed to carry parachutists, crashed on an island on the Ume river shortly after takeoff from Umea airport, police spokesman Peder Jonsson said on Sunday,
Police said that all the victims were Swedish, with one person holding dual citizenship.
King Carl XVI Gustaf expressed his sorrow in a statement.
"In view of today's tragic air crash outside Umea, which took nine people's lives, I want to convey my condolences. My family and I send our thoughts to their families and relatives," he said on Facebook.
Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said the government was in close contact with the relevant authorities as they investigate the cause of the crash.
