Malta's government says the small plane that crashed in a fireball soon after takeoff, killing all five crew members aboard, had been heading to Libya's coast to monitor migrant trafficking routes for the French government.
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The twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner exploded into a huge ball of flame and smoke shortly after takeoff Monday morning.
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A statement from the Maltese government said all five victims were French. It said the flight was part of a French Customs surveillance operation tracing routes of illicit trafficking of all sorts, including human- and drug trafficking.
Malta International Airport was temporarily closed until the debris is cleared, with over a dozen flights delayed or canceled, according to a notice on the airport website.
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