One of the victims of the plane crash at London Southend Airport has been named as Maria Fena Ortiz by loved ones. It is understood Maria, 31, was a nurse on board the medical transport plane which crashed on Sunday afternoon, killing all four people on board.

Maria, originally from Chile, was a German citizen and lived in Germany, it is understood. A friend of Maria’s told the Express she had the “warmest heart” and it was her first day on the job. A GoFundMe page set up for Maria says: “It is with great sadness that we confirm the death of our beloved Feña, in a tragic accident that is still under investigation by the authorities.

"We know that the pain is immense and shared by the many people who loved her and supported her at different stages of her life.

"In the midst of this difficult time, we want to organise ourselves to support her family. This process entails many unexpected expenses — transfers, paperwork, possible travel, and everything necessary to give her a proper send-off.

"We're starting this charity fundraiser among friends, colleagues, and those close to Feña. The idea is to raise funds that will then be donated directly to her family, so they can use them for whatever they deem most necessary.

"We will be fully transparent in our reporting of the contributions received and, if the family allows it, how the funds were used.

"Thank you so much for being here, for the love, for the support, and for everything each of you has done during these difficult days. We embrace everyone who loved us and we'll stay in touch to support each other and stay organized.

"We love you Feña."

Essex Police confirmed four foreign nationals had died in the plane that crashed shortly after taking off from Southend Airport. 

Two Dutch pilots were also among those on board, according to a document which lists passengers, the PA news agency understands.

It is also understood that the plane had dropped off a patient at Southend and was due to return to its base in the Netherlands.

Witnesses told of seeing a “fireball”, while images of fire and black smoke were shared on social media.

In a statement at the airport on Monday, Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin said: “Yesterday afternoon, an aircraft which had landed here earlier in the day took off bound for the Netherlands.

“Shortly after take off, it got into difficulty and crashed within the airport boundary.

“Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died.

“We are working to officially confirm their identities. At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals.”

Southend Airport will stay closed until further notice.

The airport’s chief executive Jude Winstanley said: “Our staff are working closely with the emergency services and air accident investigators to support their work. I would like to thank them for all of their hard work during this period.”

Lisa Fitzsimons of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said “it is too early to speculate” on what may have caused the crash.

MORE TO FOLLOW...