The pilot and passenger on board a light aircraft which crashed in North Yorkshire have died, police have said.
The aircraft crashed in fields in the Ryedale area between Castle Howard and the A64 at around 10.40am today.
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North Yorkshire Police tweeted: "We can now confirm that, sadly, two men, the pilot and passenger in the aircraft that crashed near Castle Howard, died in the crash."
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch have been informed.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Roads in the area have been closed to allow emergency services to deal with the incident and members of the public are advised to keep away from the area."
Up to 20 firefighters attended the scene and set up a foam blanket around the aircraft in case it caught fire, a North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said.
The spokesman added: "We have sent three appliances and one incident support unit with its own appliance.
"They are assisting police and have set up the external foam equipment around the perimeter."
An air ambulance and a land ambulance were also sent to the crash site, a Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokeswoman said.
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