Several injured as Lufthansa plane collapses at gate in Frankfurt

Several employees were injured when a Lufthansa plane collapsed while parked at the gate at Frankfurt Airport for reasons yet unknown, the airline said on Thursday.

The German flag carrier confirmed "an incident" involving a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Lufthansa said several of its employees were injured when the plane slammed to the ground at 12:45 pm (1045 GMT).

A Lufthansa spokesman explained that "the aircraft’s nose landing gear unexpectedly retracted" while the plane was in parking.

At the time of the incident, several crew members and ground staff had been on board the plane, which was due to depart for Los Angeles, he said. However, passengers had not yet boarded the plane.

“Several staff members were injured and are currently receiving medical treatment,” the Lufthansa spokesman said.

The exact circumstances of the incident are being investigated with the relevant authorities, he said, adding that technicians and support staff were on site.

A video shared by tracking website Flightradar 24 shows the nose gear of the aircraft snapping, causing the body of the plane to crash to the ground.

An airport worker warning a safety vest can be seen close to the plane's nose as the aircraft collapses, jumping back to avoid being hit.

Another worker can be seen standing on top of a cargo lift on the right-hand side of the aircraft. Both appear to be unharmed.

Images posted on social media show a Lufthansa aircraft lying on its belly right next to a gate.