The aircraft came down near the city of Umea in the east of the country around 2pm local time.

Emergency services have since launched a rescue effort and the victims’ relatives have been informed.

It reportedly plunged into a river on the island of Storsandskar after returning from a skydiving trip.

The plane took off from Umea airport shortly after 1.30pm and plummeted around 2pm, just 2km away.

Rescue service spokesman Conny Qvarfordt said: "We are already on the scene with a rescue team which is assisting the ambulance and we have opened a location, together with aid organisations, to give psychological and social care.

TRAGEDY: The aircraft plunged into a river near the city of Umea (Pic: SVT)
ON THE SCENE: Emergency services arrive for the rescue effort (Pic: STV)

"It's a parachute plane, and something seems to have happened just after take-off."

Umea Airport operator Swedavia said the plane was a GippsAero GA8 Airvan, a single-engine eight-seater aircraft.

Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud bang and the plane dipping before it crashed nose-first, local media reports.

Earlier this month, 10 people were killed after another aircraft crashed into a Texas airport hangar.

The small passenger plane crashed shortly after it left the tarmac at Addison Airport near Dallas.