Reno air race crash: Three people killed

The vintage World War II-era P-51 Mustang crashed at about 1630 local time (2330 GMT) at the National Championship Air Races.

Organisers said a mechanical fault was probably to blame but were awaiting the results of an official investigation.

Eyewitnesses said debris and body parts were strewn across the airfield.

'Just pulverized'

Fifty-four people were taken to hospital, some in critical condition, said Mike Houghton, head of the Reno Air Racing Association and CEO of the event.

He said he did not have confirmed figures for fatalities.

The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the airport to investigate the accident.

Mr Houghton said the Mustang had not been flying too close to the ground prior to the crash.

He said that there appeared to be a "problem with the aircraft that caused it to go out of control".

"This is a very large incident, probably one of the largest this community has seen in decades," Stephanie Kruse, a spokeswoman for the Regional Emergency Medical Service Authority, told the Associated Press.

"The community is pulling together to try to deal with the scope of it. The hospitals have certainly geared up and staffed up to deal with it."

She said 15 of the injured were in a critical condition.

Kathy Carter, a spokeswoman for Renown Medical Center in Reno, said that two people had died, not including the pilot; Kazinform cites BBC.

To learn more go to www.bbc.co.uk