Two dead as private plane falls near Greek island: navy

Two people died Monday when the private plane they were travelling in fell in the sea near the island of Samos, a Greek navy source told AFP.

State TV ERT said a man and a woman were on board the Cessna aircraft.

Local media said the single-engine plane had been flying from Israel to Samos, and that there was an explosion shortly before landing at the island's airport.

The bodies were taken to the Samos port town of Pythagoreio, the reports added.

The Israeli rescue organisation Zaka said in a statement: "A light aircraft was reported to have taken off from Israel to Samos in Greece and crashed."

The two passengers were "apparently Israelis", it added.