A Chilean firefighter plane crashed into a road in a fiery inferno after it snagged on electricity poles while flying low. 

The crash, which killed the pilot and injured four other people, took place on a road near the Panguilemo Aerodrome in Talca, a commune in Chile’s Maule region, on Monday afternoon.  

The footage shows cars on a dual carriageway with the plane flying towards the camera before it suddenly snagged on some electricity poles and cables, causing its right wing to disintegrate and the plane to catch fire.

It then came crashing down in a giant fireball and smashed into the road at speed.

Another video shows the fiery aftermath of the crash, with the remains of the aircraft burning as black smoke rises into the air.

The aircraft was carrying out operations for the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) moments before the accident occurred, according to local media. 

Its objective was to put out a fire on Route 5 South, but around 4:30pm local time (7.30pm GMT), the aircraft crashed to the ground, according to local media reports.

The pilot has been named as 58-year-old Fernando Solans Robles, with local media saying that he had extensive experience in flying aircraft as a firefighter.

The CONAF said in a statement: “CONAF extends its condolences to the family of Mr Solans, who becomes part of the legacy of martyrs who have given their lives to safeguard the heritage of our country, and thus protect the lives of its inhabitants.”

Cristina Bravo, the governor of Maule, said on X, formerly Twitter: “For us it is very important to prevent forest fires. Today we are already losing the life of a pilot who died and worked for CONAF and who was helping us fight forest fires.”