CHARLEROI, BRUSSELS - Five people have been killed after a small plane crashed on Saturday at Belgium's Charleroi airport, some 70 km south of Brussels.

The small Cessna aircraft crashed on the edge of the runway due to a mechanical problem on takeoff and trying to make a U-turn back to the runway in vain, Melissa Milioto, communication manager of Charleroi airport, told Xinhua.

The victims include two adults and three children. And the airport is a main hub for low-cost carriers.

About 17,000 passengers were affected by the closure of the airport due to the accident, said Melissa Milioto, adding that a number of them will be diverted to the airports in Brussels and Liege.

The access to the airport's official website is also temporarily limited due to "a large numbers of visitors" after the incident.