Four dead, two injured in German seaplane crash

HAMBURG, July 2 (Reuters) Four people were killed and two seriously injured when a single-engine seaplane crashed near the harbour in Germany's northern city of Hamburg today, police said.

The aircraft came down on railway lines and burst into flames, police said. The reason for the crash was unclear.

Among the dead were a teenage boy who was celebrating his birthday and his father, according to the fire brigade.

Two men were badly burned and have been taken to a specialist clinic for treatment. Fire brigade officers were looking after 15 people who had been waiting for the plane to return to its takeoff point.

German media reports said the aircraft was a de Havilland Beaver DHC-2 that was used for sightseeing flights over the city. Germany's federal civil aviation office (LBA) is investigating.

REUTERS CH RAI1903