The multifamily building in the city of Keene, 110km northwest of Boston, caught fire but no one on the ground was injured.

“There were no injuries at the multifamily building. Unfortunately those on the plane have perished,” the city of Keene said in a Facebook post on Friday night.

“The FAA has been notified. Additional details will be shared as they become available.”

It was not immediately known how many people were on the plane, Keene police captain Steve Tenney told NBC10 Boston.

Resident Scott Gauthier said he heard a loud noise and felt the building shake.

“The whole building shook and then my mother went out to check on what was going on and she started screaming, ‘Get out of the house,'” he told NBC10 Boston.

“By the time I got out the whole back barn was already in flames. You could feel the flames of the building like you were standing next to a bonfire,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration told CNN the plane was a Beechcraft Sierra, a small, single-engined aircraft.