Plane crashes in Manchester. Two people would be on board

Some photos shared on social media show a yellow parachute stuck to a high voltage pole, which may indicate that the device’s occupants may be alive.

The Cirrus SR20 is equipped with a parachute system that can be deployed in an emergency.

According to the Flightradar website, the plane took off from Birmingham Airport at 9:59 am, with the last signal being received at around 10:39 am, “south of the M62 motorway, near Marsden”.

In a statement, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed the accident, indicating that “an investigation has been launched”.