Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

It follows speculation about a rift between the president and Gen Zaluzhnyi, who has led Ukraine’s war effort since the conflict began.

The dismissal will be made official in a presidential decree.

The move marks the biggest change to Ukraine’s military leadership since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Mr Zelensky said that the high command needed to be “renewed” and that Gen Zaluzhnyi could “remain on the team”.

“Starting today, a new management team will take over the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” he said on Thursday.

President Zelensky said that he and Gen Zaluzhnyi had a “frank conversation” about the changes needed in the army, and that he thanked the general for defending Ukraine from Russia.

Mr Zelensky then announced the appointment of Colonel-General Syrskyi as the new army chief.

He said the new incumbent has “successful defence experience” in Kyiv and “successful experience of the offensive” in Kharkiv.

Gen Syrskyi led the defence of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

He was the mastermind behind Ukraine’s surprise and successful counter-attack in Kharkiv that summer and has since been serving as the head of military operations in eastern Ukraine – one of the two main axes in Ukraine’s counter-offensive.

The country’s defence minister Rustem Umerov thanked Gen Zaluzhnyi in a statement, saying:”General Valerii Zaluzhnyi had one of the most difficult tasks – to lead the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the Great War with Russia.

“But war does not remain the same. War changes and demands change. Battles 2022, 2023 and 2024 are three different realities. 2024 will bring new changes, for which we must be ready. New approaches, new strategies are needed.

President Bola Tinubu said he received the news of the passing of the Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Obi Joseph Chike Edozien (CFR), with deep sadness.

The president, however, extended his condolence with the family, Delta State Traditional Rulers’ Council, the government, and the people of the state on this painful loss.

The president, who condoled through his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale on Thursday, celebrated the impactful life of the late monarch and eminent professor of medicine, acknowledging his advocacy for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians and inimitable role in forging partnerships across divides.

“His Majesty lived a full life defined by the loftiest ideals of peace, unity, patriotism, honesty, and dignity. This is a sad loss, coming at a time when Nigeria needs more peace-builders and bridge-builders,” the President stated.

He prayed for the peaceful repose of the beloved departed, urging the Royal Family and all those who mourn this gaping loss to take solace in the legacies of His Royal Majesty.

After an attack on a Jewish student in Berlin, German education minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger has called on universities to take firm action.

Anti-Semitism must have clear consequences, the minister said on Wednesday.

“University management must, therefore, make use of all the legal options available to them,” said Ms Stark-Watzinger.”

Over the weekend, 30-year-old Lahav Shapira, a student at Berlin’s Free University, was hospitalised with broken bones in his face.

A 23-year-old pro-Palestinian from the same school is said to have punched and kicked him.

The police had reported that the two had initially got into an argument before the 23-year-old suddenly attacked.

The alleged perpetrator initially fled but was later identified.

A spokesman for the Berlin public prosecutor’s office on Tuesday said that an anti-Semitic motive for the offence did not seem far-fetched, based on the current state of the investigation.

Although universities are places of freedom, they are not lawless spaces, Ms Stark-Watzinger said.

She said this violence left her stunned and showed where hatred of Israel and Jews led.

“Everything must be done to combat this using constitutional means,” she added.

Germany’s Central Council of Jews had previously demanded strict consequences from the university on Tuesday.

There was no alternative to exmatriculating the student in question.

The university, however, said an expulsion is not legal, only a ban on entering school premises of up to three months was possible.

The militant Palestinian organisation Hamas is demanding the release of more than 1,500 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in return for the release of further hostages, according to media reports.

Qatari broadcaster, Al Jazeera, reported on Wednesday that Hamas’ request included the release of 500 prisoners who have been sentenced to life or very long prison terms, as well as all women, minors and elderly prisoners.

Hamas’ response to a renewed ceasefire agreement proposal reportedly envisages a three-stage plan that ends with a permanent ceasefire. Each phase would last 45 days.

In the first phase, Hamas is to release children, women and elderly people among the more than 130 hostages that have been held in Gaza for four months.

During the ceasefire, Israel and Hamas will then continue to negotiate through the mediators to secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas. At the end, bodies would be handed over.

In return, Hamas is demanding the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the lifting of the blockade of the coastal strip.

In addition, 500 trucks loaded with aid supplies and fuel should be allowed into the Gaza Strip every day.

Furthermore, at least 60,000 temporary houses are also to be brought into Gaza during the first phase. Internally displaced persons should also be allowed to return to their homes, Hamas negotiated.

The Israeli news website Ynet reported, citing Israeli sources, that the government in Jerusalem would not agree to a permanent ceasefire because among the prisoners whose release Hamas is demanding are “terrible terrorists.’’

Sebastián Piñera, two-time former president of Chile, has died in a helicopter crash.

Mr Pineda was 74.

Carolina Tohá, Chile’s Interior Minister, confirmed Mr Piñera’s death in a broadcast on Tuesday.

The helicopter carrying Mr Piñera and three others crashed into Lake Ranco in the Los Rios region in Southern Chile.

Three other passengers in the ill-fated helicopter survived, but Mr Piñera couldn’t make it, Mr Tohá said.

The former president first led the country between 2010 to 2014. Between 2018 and 2022, he led Chile through natural disasters, earthquakes and tsunamis.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, has pledged to partner relevant bodies to promote Blue Economy study and utilisation of its potential in the university.

The blue economy is a term in economics relating to the exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment.

Mr Egbewole made the commitment on Tuesday in Ilorin while signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Blue Economy with Premium Blue Economy Innovation and Investments Limited and the Porrima Foundation, Gryon, Switzerland.

He expressed his readiness to transform the university into a hub for Blue Economy training in Nigeria to contribute its quota to the emerging field.

He hinted at the possibility of partnering with universities outside Nigeria for research exchange as well as the exchange of staff and students.

Mr Egbewole added that this global perspective aligns with the university’s commitment to providing a comprehensive and enriching educational experience for its community.

“The joint initiative between the University of Ilorin and its international partners signifies a crucial step towards advancing research, innovation and practical applications in the realm of Blue Economy,” he said.

The vice chancellor stated that this would position the institution as a catalyst for sustainable economic development in Nigeria.

“Blue Economy is something that is emerging, but we want to be part of it and we believe there is no harm in exploring and exploiting. We believe it is our resolve that this is something that is doable, and we are ready to give it all that it takes, especially since it does not require us to put any money on the table,” he said.

Mr Egbewole explained that UNILORIN would leverage its expertise and generate ideas that could be translated into tangible economic gains.

Chief Tajudeen Karim, who spoke on behalf of Premium Blue Economy Innovation and Investments Ltd, and the Porrima Foundation, said the MoU had heralded a transformative partnership aimed at propelling UNILORIN into the forefront of the growing Blue Economy sector.

He acknowledged the commendable efforts of the Federal Government in establishing the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

According to him, this signals a crucial awakening to the vast potential within the marine and emerging Blue Economy sector.

He said that the partnership would involve training of students from the university both locally and internationally, engaging in tangible economic activities, such as utilising resources such as sugarcane, manures and animal waste.

Mr Karim added that in a few weeks, the collaboration would extend beyond academic activities to encompass the business aspect of the initiative.

He expressed the hope that the institution would establish a dedicated department whose focus would be marine and Blue Economy.

Air defence in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has been engaged in repelling a Russian missile attack, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, urging citizens to seek shelter.

As Ukraine’s air force warned of cruise missiles heading for the capital, witnesses spoke of hearing explosions.

Air strikes were also reported in the north-eastern Kharkiv region and Cherkasy in the centre, and explosions in Mykolaiv in the south.

The whole country was put under air alert around 06:00 (04:00 GMT).

According to the Ukrainian air force, Russian cruise missiles were also detected manoeuvring above the western regions of Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk.

Ukraine has come under frequent air attack since Russia invaded on 24 February 2022, annexing parts of the east and south.

Country music star Toby Keith has died at the age of 62, according to a statement published on his website.

He previously said he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, a fight he called “debilitating”.

The statement said he “fought his fight with grace and dignity”.

Over a more than 30-year career, hits including Who’s Your Daddy and Made in America were enjoyed by millions. He is survived by his wife, Tricia Lucus, and three children.

Keith said he had been receiving chemotherapy, radiation and surgery for his cancer. He said he was “comfortable with whatever happened” with his illness.

An Oklahoma native, he worked in oil fields and as a semi-pro American Football player before breaking out as a musician in the 1990s.

His debut single Should’ve Been a Cowboy, released in 1993, became a number one hit. The song romanticises the cowboy lifestyle with reference to singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.

Later albums included Blue Moon, Pull My Chain and Unleashed.

Keith’s songs frequently made reference to patriotic themes, most controversially with the song Courtesy of the Red White and Blue (The Angry American), released shortly after the 9/11 attacks, which was criticised for what some perceived as chauvinistic lyrics.

The song was criticised by fellow country artists the Dixie Chicks. The feud lasted several months before Keith announced there were “far more important things” to focus on.

Over the years, he played at events for several US presidents, including George W Bush. Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Mr Trump awarded Keith a National Medal of the Arts in 2021.

The former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) John Bruton has died after a long illness.

In a statement, his family said the 76-year-old Fine Gael politician had died in the Mater Hospital in Dublin early on Tuesday.

“He was a good husband, a good father, and a true patriot. We will miss him greatly,” the statement said.

Mr Bruton served as taoiseach from 1994 to 1997.Mr Bruton was born in Dublin on 18 May, 1947.

He was elected to the Dáil (Irish parliament) to represent Meath in 1969.

As taoiseach he led a coalition government of Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left.

He was leader of Fine Gael from 1990 to 2001.

He later served as the European Union ambassador to the United States.

Mudslides, flooding and strong winds are battering southern California as a second day of storms drenches one of the most populous parts of the US.

Heavy rain of up to 1in (2.54cm) an hour could hit areas around Los Angeles for at least 24 hours from Monday.

The “atmospheric rivers” causing the storms have already seen swathes of the state hit by rain, wind and snow.

The storm killed one man in Sacramento Valley, who died after a tree fell on him due to fierce winds.

A state of emergency has been declared in 10 of the state’s counties.

Forecasters have said torrential rain is the main risk facing California on Monday.

The Weather Prediction Service (WPC), part of the National Weather Service (NWS), issued a level 4 warning for rainfall in parts of southern California.

The WPC said potentially “life-threatening” and “catastrophic” flash flooding threatened the Los Angeles Basin and surrounding area. It said mudslides and debris flows were also a risk.

The centre added that “very heavy” snows would continue in the Sierra Nevada mountains, rendering travel “dangerous to impossible”.

The NWS said strong winds of up to 70mph (112kmph) could cause further power cuts and downed trees, though winds would decrease significantly by Monday night.

Large steep waves would make areas along the coastline “extremely dangerous,” it added.

On Sunday, flights from Santa Barbara Airport were cancelled and drivers stranded by flooding in Los Angeles had to be released by rescuers.

More than half a million people were without power on Monday morning as the storm knocked out electricity networks.

Evacuation orders were issued for residents in several counties, including Los Angeles, Santa Clara and Santa Barbara.

The storm is due to an “atmospheric river” effect, caused by airborne currents of dense moisture.

Atmospheric rivers are a phenomenon in which water evaporates into the air and is carried along by the wind, forming long currents that flow in the sky like rivers flow on land.

A first atmospheric river hit California last week. The renewed bout of bad weather is caused by a second.

In a statement declaring the state of emergency in eight counties, including Los Angeles and Orange, Governor Gavin Newsom said: “This is a serious storm with dangerous and potentially life-threatening impacts.

“California is ready with a record number of emergency assets on the ground to respond to the impacts of this storm.

“Two other counties have declared their own states of emergency.

The NWS said Monday would be “one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory”.

NWS officials urged people in affected areas to heed evacuation orders, stay off the roads and be prepared for potential power cuts.

Russia has said at least 28 people died in a strike on a bakery in the Russian-occupied eastern Ukrainian town of Lysychansk.

The building, which also housed a restaurant named Adriatic, was hit on Saturday.

Russian officials said servicemen, women and a child were killed in the strike.

The Kremlin said Western-supplied weapons were used in the attack, which it called a “terrorist act” by Ukraine.

Kyiv has not commented, but Ukrainian military bloggers have since claimed that “collaborators” and Russian officials were in the building at the time.

On Monday, the head of the Russia-annexed Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) said that the strike killed the minister of emergency situations, Alexey Poteleshchenko, who had been celebrating his birthday at the restaurant that was hit.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces deliberately targeted the bakery, knowing that “locals traditionally come there on Saturdays for baked goods and groceries, including the elderly and families with children”.

Neither the death toll nor any other claims by either Russia or Ukraine have been verified by the BBC.Lysychansk, which is in the eastern Luhansk region, was captured by Russia in July 2022.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited army positions near the front-line village of Robotyne as part of a visit to the southern Zaporizhzhya region.

Pictures posted on social media showed him handing over medals in what appeared to be an underground shelter.

The visit came amid speculation that President Zelensky is about to fire his commander-in-chief, Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

On Sunday night, Italian broadcaster Rai 1 aired an interview with President Zelensky in which he was asked about the rumours.

Without referencing Gen Zaluzhnyi specifically, President Zelensky said a “reset” was necessary, as well as a change across the senior leadership.

As the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, Ukrainian forces have struggled to yield significant gains. The Ukrainian counter-offensive, which was launched in the summer of 2023, has so far failed to regain swathes of territory seized by Russia.

The gunmen who killed a traditional ruler, kidnapped his wife and one other person have reduced their ransom to N40 million from N100 million.

The gunmen had on Sunday first reached out to the king’s family for a N100 million ransom payment.

The traditional ruler, Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, who was the Olukoro of Koro-Ekiti in the Ekiti LGA in Kwara, was murdered in his palace Thursday night.

His wife and another person were at the same time kidnapped by the assailants.

Speaking with journalists late Sunday night, Kehinde Bayode, chairman of the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) in the council area, said a suspect was apprehended.

He said the suspect was arrested in Eruku town in the Ekiti LGA on Sunday.

While speaking on efforts made to free the kidnapped, Mr Bayode said, “The kidnappers had got in touch with the family. They were demanding N100 million ransom, which has now been reduced to N40 million.

“But we are still negotiating with them and right now, I’m on my way to Koro to get the latest information on the negotiation. We will continue to brief you (journalists) as the situation unfolds and we will keep you posted.”

However, police spokeswoman in Kwara, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, did not confirm the arrest of a suspect.

“The commissioner of police has deployed a tactical team to Koro-Ekiti to fish out the perpetrators. Policemen are working with other security agencies to free those that were abducted during the kidnapping incident.

“No arrest has been made yet. We are going to keep you abreast of developments as they unfold,” she said.

ECOWAS has urged the relevant authorities in Senegal to urgently choose a new date for the country’s presidential elections that was postponed.

The bloc made the appeal in a statement signed and issued by the ECOWAS Commission to journalists in Abuja.

According to the statement, the ECOWAS Commission said it has taken note of the decision of the Senegalese authorities to postpone the presidential elections, originally scheduled to take place on Feb. 25, 2024.

“The ECOWAS Commission expresses concern over the circumstances that have led to the postponement of the elections.

“Also, the bloc appeals to the competent authorities to expedite the various processes in order to set a new date for the elections.

“The Commission further urges the entire political class to prioritise dialogue and collaboration for a transparent, inclusive and credible election.

“The ECOWAS Commission salutes President Macky Sall for upholding his earlier decision not to run for another term.

“It encourages him to continue to defend and protect Senegal’s long-standing democratic tradition.”

The statement added that the Commission would continue to monitor the situation in the West African nation.

At least 51 people were killed by forest fires in Chile’s Valparaíso region, local authorities have said.

President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency and said he would make “all necessary resources” available to tackle the situation.

It is believed to be Chile’s deadliest forest fire on record. Many of those affected were visiting the coastal region during the summer holidays.

A health alert was put in place in Valparaíso by the health ministry.

The ministry called for the suspension of elective surgeries and authorised temporary field hospitals to be set up.

Medicine students nearing the end of their studies will be hired to help ease pressures on the health service, the ministry announced in the same statement.

Rescue services have struggled to reach the most badly affected areas and Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said the death toll would “reach much higher figures” in the coming hours.

The Chilean government has urged people not to travel to the areas impacted by the fires.

A 61-year-old resident from El Olivar described the ordeal as “hell”.

Speaking to the AFP news agency, Rodrigo Pulgar said he tried to help his neighbour but then realised that his own house had started to burn.

“Ash was raining down on us,” Mr Pulgar added.

He explained that most residents in El Olivar are older people, and said his neighbour died because they couldn’t get her out.

The housing ministry said between 3,000 and 6,000 houses were impacted by the fires.

On Saturday, a curfew was put in place for those in Viña del Mar, Limache, Quilpué and Villa Alemana.

Mr Boric said the curfew will help free up routes and allow emergency vehicles to reach affected areas.

Some 1,400 firefighters are being deployed on Sunday, the interior minister said in an address to the nation.

Military personnel have been deployed alongside emergency services, and the cause of the fires is being investigated.

To avoid the escalation of an already delicate situation, the government has banned the handling of fire and machines that produce heat in Valparaíso, and the nearby Marga Marga region.

Situated 116 km (72 miles) from the capital Santiago, the coastal town of Valparaíso sees many tourists during the summer.

According to local media reports, the regional committee for disaster risk management (Cogrid) said 45 of those killed were found dead at the scene and six others died due to burn wounds in healthcare centres.

Last year, the regions of Biobío and Ñuble – further south from Valparaíso – endured deadly wildfires, which appear to be becoming more frequent and lethal.

A Pakistani court has jailed Imran Khan and his wife for seven years after voiding their marriage, in the latest sentence against the ex-prime minister.

The court ruled that Khan’s 2018 marriage with Bushra Bibi, a faith healer, was un-Islamic and illegal.

He is already in jail for corruption. Last Wednesday, a week before a general election, the pair were convicted of profiting from state gifts.

Khan, 71, has said the numerous cases against him are politically motivated.

Pakistan’s former cricket captain-turned-politician was ousted as prime minister in 2022.

A court was set up inside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan is serving his previous sentences, for the latest case.

The complaint was filed by Bibi’s ex-husband, who said her marriage with Khan had been fraudulent.

Under Muslim family law, women are prohibited from remarrying for a few months after their husband dies or they are divorced. The court found that Bibi had remarried before the completion of the stipulated time following her divorce.

As well as the seven-year jail sentence, the court imposed a fine of 500,000 rupees ($1,800; £1,420) on Khan and Bibi.

The couple married in 2018, months before Khan was elected prime minister. Bibi, a spiritual healer believed to be in her 40s and always wears a veil in public, is Khan’s third wife.

Khan had a playboy reputation in his cricketing years before he settled down to a society marriage with British socialite Jemima Goldsmith in 1995. The marriage lasted nine years and produced two sons.

A second marriage in 2015, to journalist and former BBC weather presenter Reham Khan, lasted less than a year.

The former PM has been detained since his arrest last August.

Saturday’s prison sentence is Khan’s third in less than a week. On Tuesday, he was jailed for 10 years for leaking classified documents.

Wednesday’s court case centred on accusations that he and his wife had sold or kept state gifts received in office, including jewellery from the Saudi Crown Prince.

Both were given 14-year sentences in that case. The court ruled that Bushra Bibi was allowed to serve hers under house arrest.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has said he was tried by “kangaroo courts”.

Even before the latest sentences were handed down, many were questioning the credibility of next week’s election as Khan and his party have been sidelined.

The authorities deny carrying out a crackdown, but many of PTI leaders are behind bars or have defected.

Thousands of the party’s supporters were rounded up after protests – at times violent – when Khan was taken into custody last year.

The man tipped to win is three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif.

He was jailed for corruption ahead of the 2018 election that Imran Khan won. Many analysts say he is now favoured by Pakistan’s powerful military establishment.

The National Hajj Commission, NAHCON, has announced the final fare for this year, 2024.

The Chairman of the Commission, Malam Jalal Arabi said that intending pilgrims from Nigeria’s Southern centre are required to pay N4,899,000 as Hajj fare, while those from the Northern centre will pay N4,699,000.

However, those from Yola and Maiduguri centre will pay N4,679,000.

The Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, recalled that the Chairman of NAHCON had initially aimed to maintain the 2024 Hajj fare at N4.5 million.

“The prospects had remained high until the well-known Naira crash that occurred mid-week.

“Regrettably, the recent instability in the Dollar exchange rate compelled a necessary adjustment despite commendable efforts by NAHCON Chairman, Jalal Ahmad Arabi to maintain the cost of the year’s Hajj at the said rate,” she said.

NAHCON assured the public of its commitment to ensuring a smooth and successful Hajj pilgrimage for all participants despite the challenges posed by foreign exchange factors.

The Commission appreciated the understanding and cooperation of the Nigerian Muslim community.

A former CIA officer has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for leaking a trove of classified hacking tools to whistle-blowing platform Wikileaks.

Joshua Schulte was also found guilty of possessing child abuse images.

Prosecutors have accused him of leaking the CIA’s “Vault 7” tools, which allow intelligence officers to hack smartphones and use them as listening devices.

They said the leak is one of the most “brazen” in US history.

Schulte, 35, shared some 8,761 documents to Wikileaks in 2017, amounting to the largest data breach in the history of the CIA, the US justice department said.

He denied the allegations, but was convicted on the various counts at three separate federal trials in New York in 2020, 2022, and 2023.

On Thursday, he was sentenced for charges of espionage, computer hacking, contempt of court, making false statements to the FBI and possession of child abuse images.

“Joshua Schulte betrayed his country by committing some of the most brazen, heinous crimes of espionage in American history,” said US Attorney Damian Williams.

According to evidence shared at the trial, Schulte was employed as a software developer in the Center for Cyber Intelligence, which conducts cyber espionage against terrorist organisations and foreign governments.

Prosecutors said that in 2016 that he transmitted the stolen information to Wikileaks and then lied to FBI agents about his role in the leak.

They said that he was seemingly motivated by anger over a workplace dispute.

Schulte had been struggling to meet deadlines and Assistant US Attorney Michael Lockard said one of his projects was so far behind schedule that he had earned the nickname “Drifting Deadline”.

The prosecutors said he wanted to punish those he perceived to have wronged him and said in “carrying out that revenge, he caused enormous damage to this country’s national security”.

Wikileaks began publishing classified data from the files in 2017.

The leak, prosecutors said, “immediately and profoundly damaged the CIA’s ability to collect foreign intelligence against America’s adversaries; placed CIA personnel, programs, and assets directly at risk; and cost the CIA hundreds of millions of dollars.

“The FBI interviewed Schulte several times after WikiLeaks published the data, where he denied responsibility.

A search of his apartment, prosecutors said, later revealed “tens of thousands of images of child sexual abuse materials”.

They added that after his arrest, Schulte attempted to transmit more information.

He smuggled a phone into jail where he attempted to send a reporter information about CIA cyber groups and drafted tweets that included information about CIA cyber tools under the name Jason Bourne, a fictional intelligence operative.

He has been held behind bars since 2018.

A small plane crashed into a trailer park on Thursday evening in Clearwater, Florida, sparking a fire that engulfed mobile homes, fire officials say.

Firefighters say they received the call of a plane crash at 19:08 (00:08GMT), and quickly responded to the scene.

Clearwater Fire Chief Scott 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 declare a mayday before disappearing.Video of the crash site at the Bayside Waters mobile home park shows wreckage strewn into the street.

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

The fires were “quickly extinguished”, he said.

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

Investigators are still working to approach the trailer that was directly hit by the plane. The pilot is believed to have died, he said.

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).