Two people were killed after a private jet crashed into houses near a small airport in the town of San Fernando, Buenos Aires Province.

Local authorities said the aircraft went off the runway, crashed into a house and consequently burst into flames, causing the deaths of the only two individuals onboard: pilot Martín Fernández Loza, 44, and co-pilot Agustín Oforte, 35.

“The aircraft collided with houses that were outside the premises, as a result of which the two pilots died. There was no-one in the houses”, - said Julio César Bono, a spokesman for Argentina’s Airport Security Police (PSA).

The plane was flying in from the exclusive resort of Punta del Este, Uruguay, aviation sources told the AFP and Noticias Argentinas news agencies. Bono said the plane had been in Rio de Janeiro before heading to Buenos Aires.

The private aircraft reportedly belonged to the family of Jorge Brito, wealthy owner of Banco Macro/president of River Plate football club. The causes of accident were not immediately known. The plane intended to land at San Fernando’s 5th runway but went off track. Initial reports, unconfirmed at the time of writing, suggested the brakes had failed to work.