Several people are dead after a small plane crashed into a mobile home in Florida, shortly after the pilot reported an engine failure, fire officials say.

Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said those killed included people on the aircraft and inside the mobile trailer in Clearwater.

The crash damaged at least three other trailers in the mobile home park.

Air traffic control heard the pilot declare a mayday before disappearing.

According to local fire officials, they were first notified of a plane crash at 19:08 local time (00:08GMT) on Thursday and quickly responded to the scene.

Mr Ehlers said at a news conference that they received the call around the same time that the airport reported a plane in trouble.

Air traffic control heard the pilot of the aircraft declare an emergency before disappearing from radar approximately three miles (4.8k) north of the runway at St Pete-Clearwater International Airport.

Videos of the crash site at the Bayside Waters mobile home park shows wreckage strewn into the street, as well as flames and thick smoke.

Chief Ehlers told reporters that four trailers were "heavily involved", and one was struck by the plane.

Three of the homes were quickly searched and found to contain no victims, Mr Ehlers said, adding that residents were inside when the plane crashed but were able to flee to safety.

"I can confirm that we have several fatalities both from the aircraft and within the mobile home," Mr Ehlers said.

The exact number of people killed in the incident remains unclear.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the plane was a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 that had reported an "engine failure" shortly before the crash.

The statement said that "it is not yet known how many people were on board".

The crash will be investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). (Text, excluding headline: BBC)

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