Five S. Africans killed in plane crash near Cape Town

Johannesburg (AFP) - Five South Africans were killed when a small medical plane crashed in a nature reserve east of Cape Town on Sunday, the emergency services said.

"A Namibian medical plane which was carrying five South Africans crashed this morning. The pilot, his co-pilot, a paramedic, the patient and his daughter were all tragically killed," a statement from the emergency services said.

"All five of those on board, three men and two women, all died," Robert Daniels, spokesman for Western Cape province emergency services, told AFP.

Radio contact with the plane was lost at 6:14am (0414 GMT) as the plane was about to land at Cape Town international airport, the statement said.

The fuselage was still on fire when the rescue services arrived, Daniels said.

He said an investigation had been opened to determine the reason for the crash, which could be related to "heavy fog" in the region during the morning.

Several flights were delayed after the plane disappeared off the radar, but traffic resumed once it was located.

The Tygerberg Nature Reserve, which covers some 300 hectares (740 acres), is located 25 kilometres (15 miles) east of Cape Town.