AKIPRESS.COM - At least 18 people were killed and several injured when a small military plane crashed into a residential area near the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi, BBC reports.

Five crew members and 13 civilians were among the dead, rescue services said.

The aircraft was on a training flight when it crashed and set off a fire across several homes. One witness said the plane was ablaze before the crash.

The King Air 350 turboprop reportedly took a steep turn near its destination airport before coming down.

Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, is the site of the Pakistani army's headquarters, and the plane belonged to the Pakistani Army's aviation unit.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan offered his condolences and wished a "quick recovery for the injured", according to a tweet sent by the Pakistani government.