Five people were killed earlier today when a small plane crashed in to the roof of a shopping mall after taking off from an airfield outside Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, police said.

The twin-turboprop Beechcraft King Air plane suffered engine failure and crashed into the mall near the end of the runway at Essendon Airport, Victoria state police assistant commissioner Stephen Leane told reporters in Melbourne.

The crash happened about an hour before the mall was due to open and there were no fatalities other than those aboard the aircraft, he added.

Essendon Airport, which is used mainly by light aircraft, remained closed. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will investigate the crash.

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