Two people were killed and 18 others were injured after a small plane crashed into the rooftop of a commercial building on Thursday near Los Angeles, according to local authorities.

The accident, which occurred at about 2:09 p.m. local time (2209 GMT) in the city of Fullerton, 40 km southeast of downtown Los Angeles, ignited a huge fire and forced the surrounding businesses to be evacuated, said Kristy Wells, a Fullerton police spokesperson.

Video footage from the local KABC news channel showed white smoke coming from the top of a large building. The building is located by the Metrolink, a regional train line, and is flanked by a residential neighborhood and commercial warehouse buildings.

xinhua