Fox Glacier is a popular destination for tourists and sports enthusiasts
Nine people, including four foreigners, have been killed in a light aircraft crash in New Zealand, police say.
The plane, owned by a skydiving company, crashed soon after taking off from the tourist spot of Fox Glacier on the South Island.
The dead were from Britain, Ireland, Australia and Germany, said police. The pilot and the other four passengers were all local.
The names of the passengers have not been released.
The plane was reported to be a Fletcher fixed-wing aircraft, commonly used in the area.
'Engulfed in flames'
Officials said it crashed shortly after leaving the Fox Glacier airstrip at about 1330 local time (0130GMT).
An eyewitness told the New Zealand Herald: "It was like a fireball and then there was big puffs of smoke going up. [The plane] was engulfed in flames immediately."
The five New Zealanders on board were all from Fox Glacier and well-known in the town.
"Fox only has about 200 people in the community and it is in shock," said Matt Ewen, of Tourism West Coast, told television channel ONE News.
"I know the owners, they are very nice people and this is a tragedy for them."
'Perfect weather'
There is only one skydiving company operating from the Fox Glacier airstrip, Skydive New Zealand. But a spokeswoman for the company refused to comment, according to news website stuff.co.nz.
A message on the company's answerphone said: "Unfortunately, we will not be skydiving for the rest of the day."
Maureen Pugh, mayor of Westland District, told ONE News that the tourists were going up with instructors to do a tandem skydive in perfect weather conditions.
"It's a well-established company down here and has a huge reputation," she said.
"Nobody is even trying to guess what went wrong. We're just so devastated."
It is thought to be the country's worst aviation accident since a plane crashed on landing near Christchurch in 2003, killing eight people
